Osaka
Jul 30

Mister Kelly’s, Osaka

Releasing his first solo album in 1998, {Diary of a Plastic Box}, English pianist and drummer Gary Husband is also a composer, arranger, and producer. Throughout his career, he has played with some of the greats of the music world. Husband is now in Japan to play his own solo shows and as a special guest with Soft Machine on their farewell Japan Tour. KS spoke with Gary about his past collaborations and upcoming shows.

How do you feel about your busy upcoming touring schedule in Japan with solo shows and playing with Soft Machine?

Since I have begun doing solo concerts recently it seemed like a great idea (having played in Japan quite regularly since the late 80s) to now try and give some profile to my own solo material and musical endeavors. I’d like to be building more of a platform for my music – my way with my writing and the formations I’d like to bring together. With the loss of my close brother Allan Holdsworth recently there is now a big hole. Bigger than I could ever have imagined. That music, sadly, is now a closed book to me, and what we had between us close to four decades of musical development together is a phenomenal loss. I am feeling the need more and more exclusively explore my own creative desires. So, I’m hoping to attract some of the great supporters that have come and witnessed many projects I have been a part of in Japan over the many years, and that they may now enjoy these piano concerts. I’m working very hard on the material for them right now.

You’ve played with so many great musicians and bands over the years including Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Gary Moore, Robin Trower, Jack Bruce, and Billy Cobham to name just a few. These collaborations can take you into different musical genres. Is there a style of music or a particular genre that you feel most comfortable playing?

Oh, yes, they are all individual. But I don’t really think in terms of genre changes; I just think of the artist himself or herself and the musicians involved. I’m comfortable if I can play, improvise, and interact with people who are inspiring to me. With Allan, it was a long-time personal development alongside him. It was so close, and what we had was really pretty unique to us. The joyful association with John McLaughlin has been in existence since 2005 or thereabouts. He has asked nothing of me except for an intense, personal musical application and constant creativity. But I also enjoy a lot of other kinds of music, and always have. So I’ve been taking on a lot of projects with a lot of very different people. And I think if there’s music we love – no matter what kind of music it is – the more natural it is to strive and work towards a way we can work in those realms and be active in them.

You’ve been a prolific recording artist both solo and with other bands and projects. Are there any new releases on the horizon?

Yes! I’ve been doing recording recently with some of MoonJune’s artists (Mark Wingfield, Asaf Sirkis, Dusan Jevtovic). I would like to do a recording with Mark King celebrating the music of Jack Bruce, too. With the piano, I’d like to put a little three-piece together featuring piano, cello, and a tabla player, and on the electric band front, I have a big ambition for a new electric band called Gary Husband & The Trackers. It will feature the unique talents of Norwegian guitar artist Alf Terje Hana and I am in the process of choosing a bassist who will be exactly right for it. That group will predominantly be an outlet for my drumming. Apart from all this, I will begin work on filming a drums e-course and get to be able to put out a lot of messages I don’t see too many others dealing with. Stuff that’s important to me. It’ll mean a lot to me personally to document all that, from my standpoint and from my kind of approach as an example to younger, aspiring, creative musicians.

Details
Time: 7:30pm/9:15pm
Admission: ¥3,800/¥5,000
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Mister Kelly’s, Osaka