Glenn Horiuchi was an Asian American jazz pianist and composer. His album Manzanar voices was released in 1989. I chose this particular chart as a highlight because it was has a familiar sound to some of the jazz I grew up listening to. My dad was a fan of David Brubeck, and the first few bars of “Blues for John Okada” has a familiar rhythmic and sound quality that reminded me of home.

Some of my first introductions to jazz happened at the family dinner table. Most nights my dad would play a classic rock album softly in the background, but on occasion he would pull out a jazz album. When I was very little I found myself resisting jazz, favoring music that had lyrics and a pop beat, but around middle school something clicked and I started to connect musically to instrumental music.

The selections I’ve listened to so far off of Manzanar Voices have a more dissonant feel to them than the jazz I was exposed to growing up. On a typical night in the Blum household we would listen to more typical swing charts. It wasn’t until high school that I was exposed to a more contemporary sound among a sea of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. I’d be lying if I said it was an easy transition in listening. Swing charts, with their dance feel, are far more accessible to a wider audience than their contemporary counterpart. However, the emotion and expression on Manzanar Voices for the listener to really reflect on the music to gain a deeper understanding of what the composer was trying to convey.

For reference: One of my favorite jazz charts of all time is The Count Basie Orchestra’s “Freckle Face.”

Sources:

AceWaxCollecters. “Glenn Horiuchi-Blues for John Okada.” Youtube. Jan. 19, 2014. Web. 10/22/2017.

Lucas Ferrari Jazz. “Count Basie-Freckle Face.” Youtube. Nov. 28, 2009. Web. 10/22/2017.