Special Series

1971-8-5 Thursday—Day off I got up late, had a breakfast and back to bed.  Liao, Toshio and Mr. Yamamoto went to Queens Town for grocery shopping.  In the evening we rehearsed “Take Me Home, Country Road” and “Long Black Veil.”  After that we had a discussion on a difference between our first album (Run Mountain…

For a Slide Show of photos from this week’s BG45 travels, check this web address:  http://frobbi.org/akira/1971_BG45_WK_07/ 1971/7/29 Thursday—Day off Sab made us breakfast for the first time—he made almost all the lunches & dinners so he was excused from breakfast duty—however, it was a very simple Ochazuke-Nori with rice and seaweed.  Liao, Toshio & Akira…

During week six of their first US tour, we find Bluegrass 45 going back into the studio to record, traveling to Carlton Haney’s Bluegrass Park in Camp Springs, North Carolina, and watching Bill Monroe on television.   At Camp Springs the band met Jimmy Haley and Louis Reid Pyrtle (Lou Reid) who were with the band…

1971/7/15 Thursday — Rehearsal In the early evening we started rehearsing “Mocking Banjo” in the apartment but soon we realized we needed a bass so we drove over to Dick Freeland’s house and resumed rehearsing “Mocking Banjo” & “Fuji Mountain Breakdown.”  Once we were done practicing, Dick played Ralph Stanley’s master tapes for his new…

Week 04  (7/08 – 7/14) During the fourth week of Bluegrass 45’s 1971 American tour, we find them going into the studio to work on their first album for Rebel Records.  Additionally, Josh and Akira traveled to Ohio to visit their sister, Heidi. The album titled Bluegrass 45(Rebel SLP-1502), included the following tracks:  Bridge Over…

During week three of Bluegrass 45’s tour of the United States in 1971 they performed at their third bluegrass festival.  The first was Bill Monroe’s Bean Blossom, the second was the Country Gentleman’s Indian Ranch festival, and this week found them at Carlton Haney’s festival in Berryville, Virginia. As is evident in Akira Otsuka’s journal…