Charlie Tagawa
Encyclopedia
Charlie Tagawa is an Japanese-American musical entertainer, banjoist, and Japanese immigrant. His musical career has spanned six decades and he is regarded as one of the best (contemporary) banjo players and arguably one of the all-time best. He performs regularly across the U.S. and in Japan where he is known professionally as Japan's 'Harry Reser
'. A 2003 inductee into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame, Tagawa often performs as the headline act at banjo jazz festivals and shows. He is also the international good will ambassador for the Peninsula Banjo Band
.
by one of Japan's top banjoists and recording artists, Takashi Tsunoda, in 1956. Although he started on guitar, he found his calling upon picking up a four-string tenor banjo. Shortly thereafter Tagawa purchased a used tenor banjo for US$20.00. After graduating from Senshu University
with a degree in Economics, he became a student of Tsunoda's. Tagawa was an apt student and quickly developed a style and manner of his own. After three months of lessons and practicing Tagawa became a professional banjo player and started earning money from his performances.
Tagawa joined one of the premier country-western
bands in Tokyo playing lead banjo on a two-year tour. The group played at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He then joined the Dixieland Dukes as a soloist for three years. Tokyo's fabulous Gaslight Club was his next stop on his ladder of success as a featured entertainer. His ever widening repertoire began to include favorite songs of other nations.
was in Tokyo for the summer Olympics
and caught Tagawa's act. He was so impressed by Tagawa's extraordinary skill with a tenor banjo and versatility that he offered him a contract to play at his restaurant in the U.S. This break for Tagawa was also a great break for the jazz enthusiasts of Northern California
. After reaching the United States, Zenzo Tagawa was rapidly Americanized to Charlie Tagawa and soon after he was discovered by numerous restaurant patrons as well as other banjo players in the area. Tagawa performed at Sakura Gardens, and its successor restaurant Imperial Gardens, for a total of fifteen years.
Over those years he developed a loyal following of fans who would come regularly to enjoy his musical talent. On many evenings, one or another of his banjo or Washtub bass
("gut bucket") playing friends would drop in to listen or to jam
. He often augmented his experience and repertoire by playing with local musicians. This also included performances at other venues one of which a stint at San Francisco's Red Garter beer palace and night club that provided continuous entertainment. The Red Garter clubs were hotbeds of banjoists.
It was in 1966 that Tagawa was asked to join a local band and met Chuck Ray. Ray was a banjo teacher and the leader of a fledgling group called the Cupertino Banjo Band. His interest and passion for the banjo was fueled in part by his frequent performances at a Shakey's Pizza Parlor
. The Shakey's Pizza chain was known for its longtime use of banjo music in its restaurants. Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson
personally played dixieland jazz piano to entertain patrons. Initially started in Sacramento, California
, the Shakey's Pizza Parlors became known outside Sacramento, not for its pizza, but for the jazz program it sponsored on a regional radio network. Shakey's used banjo players performing (and jamming to) an array of Dixieland and Ragtime classics plus hits of the early 1900s, 20s, and 30s similar to the format of Jack Dupen's Red Garter club in San Francisco which spurred nationwide demand for banjo players and bands. Many others, thrilled by the music, sought out banjo teachers to learn to play. Fortuitous timing for Tagawa.
With Tagawa's leadership and reputation the Cupertino Banjo Band grew at a steady pace, so much so that they temporarily changed the group's name to the Golden Gate Banjo Band. Then in 1971 the group voted to be known as the Peninsula Banjo Band as acknowledgment that members came from as far south as Santa Cruz
and Burlingame
to the north on the San Francisco Peninsula
.
In 1978 Tagawa's reputation earned him an invitation to perform with a group of musicians from Japan. Yoshio Toyama's Dixieland Saints performed in concert at Stanford University. The session also generated a recording released on LP, Live "Stanford University", in May of that year.
, Kevin McCabe
, and Scotty Plummer
. He has been the music director of the Peninsula Banjo Band
for all but one year since 1966. As a full-time performer and music teacher in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and into the 2000s, Tagawa can claim responsibility for teaching most of the band's members.
Tagawa has also had great success in instructing children. He uses a modified form of the Suzuki method
to teach young students to play the banjo singly and in a group. In 1972, a band was formed by group of Tagawa's young students. They called their group the Junior Banjo Band and its purpose was the application of what they had learned along with the creation of discipline and musicianship. Practice under Tagawa's direction, with the cooperation of their parents, made this possible. The group consisted of young people ranging in age from eleven to sixteen years with six months to five years experience. It was difficult to maintain a constant high level of performance without some of the experienced players who had to leave the group when they graduate on their seventeenth birthday. With Tagawa's diligence and patience, new players rose up to fill the ranks.
Soon after forming, the band was performing for the public on television shows and in various venues such as Marriott's Great America amusement park, county fairs, and at various charitable organizations' functions and clubs such as Rotary Clubs
, Lions Clubs
, Optimist Clubs
, and the Shriners
.
In 1975 they played at the Fretted Instrument Guild of America
annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia
. Before heading back to California, they took a detour to Orlando, Florida
where the band was treated to a visit to Disney World
by Tagawa.
A high point for the Junior Banjo Band members was a three-week long musical friendship and sight-seeing tour of Japan
in the summer of 1976. With Japan-born Tagawa overseeing the excursion, twelve of the band's young players and three mothers from the group made the trip representing the cities of San Jose
, Mountain View
, and Oakland
to their respective sister cities of Okayama, Iwata
, and Fukuoka
. For the duration of the trip the band changed its name to the Banjo Ambassadors. Overall the group traveled from Tokyo to Nagasaki—1200 miles (1,931.2 km)—and stopped or performed in thirteen cities. Their greatest performance was at a Banjo Jubilee jazz festival in Tokyo sponsored by the Alligator Jazz Club (Pres. Akira Tsumura). This was a combination of professional banjo players working with semi-professionals to produce a successful show. The Junior Banjo Band also played at several schools, on two television shows, on one radio show, for two Rotary Clubs, and in three Shakey's Pizza Parlors!
Sadly the Junior Banjo Band disbanded in 1985 with their last public performance at the Peninsula Banjo Band
's annual Banjo Jubilee Jazz Festival. The five remaining members took the stage at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts
in Cupertino
without Tagawa on stage leading the band. Unknown at the time that this would be the last public performance of the group, Chris Bracher, brothers Scott and Bruce Morley, Joe Wagner, and Tagawa's youngest son Leon closed out a twenty five minute set to a standing ovation. Later that year two of the older members (Morley and Wagner) graduated and left the area to attend college effectively ending the band.
. His reputation and notoriety have been heightened by his command of the group and his ability to hone and synchronize the performance skills of a band ranging in size from twenty five to well over one hundred performers. Regarded as one of, if not arguably, the best of the large banjo bands in North America, the Peninsula Banjo Band
has earned its fair share of accolades and fame.
Starting in 1975, the band has recorded and produced four collections of performances along with numerous "special edition" recordings distributed to band members only and not-for-sale to the public. Just Because, was released originally on an LP
(long playing) record. More! More! More! (1981) was released on both LP record and audio tape. Just One More Time (1996) was released on tape and the then new digital format, compact disc
(CD). That Charlie Sound (2008) is the band's most involved effort thus far. The CD includes fifteen tracks by the band and features Tagawa with a small combo that includes his sons Nori and Leon along with Bill Lowrey
. This is currently the only professional recording that captures Tagawa's virtuosity on the tenor banjo. None of these recordings would have been possible without his direction, discipline, and determination to come as close to achieving performance perfection as a large band is capable.
elected Tagawa as their first president in preparation to file as a charitable, nonprofit
California corporation. This was in response to the success of the previous year's inaugural Banjo Jubilee Jazz Festival. The Jubilees are a means to generate a relatively large fund to then donate to a worthy cause or deserving charitable group. Tagawa contributes countless hours towards the production of each annual jazz festival that includes the selection and booking of the participating bands and soloists as well as creating custom arrangements for the Peninsula Banjo Band
's performance.
As an experienced band leader, Tagawa has been responsible for creating banjo oriented arrangements for all but a few of the over 250 songs in the band library. He has continuously and without hesitation donated these arrangements for the benefit of the band and its fans.
Additionally, Tagawa devotes many hours a year to performing as a community service for various groups that normally could not afford to hire a musical group let alone a single professional musician.
. George Barnes
, writing in England's BMG Magazine, said that (Tagawa) is one of that rare breed who is dedicated to play and teach the banjo as it should be played. Tagawa said, "Playing the banjo is my life—I love it." Tagawa continued to receive high praise and accolades for his playing over the years. This culminated in 2003 when he was inducted into the Four String Banjo Hall of Fame
for his musical education efforts in May. He traveled to the American Banjo Museum, at the time, in Guthrie, Oklahoma
to be honored.
Filmed in June 2001 (airing in October 21), Tagawa and the Peninsula Banjo Band
were featured in a segment of the television show Bay Area Backroads hosted by Doug McConnell
and produced for Bay Area station KRON
, an NBC
affiliate. The episode is archived on the San Francisco Chronicle
website SFGate.com and viewable here (Quicktime
format). After the main segment, the episode closes with a short segment with McConnell
singing When the Saints Go Marching In
with the band.
In September 2001 during the annual Banjo Jubilee jazz festival Tagawa was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Banjos Unlimited—a nonprofit association of banjo bands and individual banjo players dedicated to the preservation of the banjo and its music. And again that day Tagawa was further acknowledged as the 2001 Jubilee Honoree for his contributions to the Peninsula Banjo Band
. Lastly, arguably one of the proudest moments in the life of a music teacher, twelve of Tagawa's former students attended the festival for a Junior Banjo Band reunion performance. Former band members from the entire thirteen year span attended. Many had not touched their instruments since the 1970s or 80s and one would think that it would be difficult to play even for just one performance. Due largely to Tagawa's adaptation of the Suzuki method for instruction to play the banjo, in a practice session the day before their performance, the group synchronized their playing within the span one song. What was more amazing was the fact that some of these former students had never performed together, previously having joined and left the band before later members.
Tagawa is father to two sons, Nori and Leon. Each is a very talented musician in his own right. His older son, Nori, often performs with him at jazz festivals and banjo shows. When Nori is not performing he is a full-time violin teacher and freelance professional musician. He plays an array of instruments that include: cello
, violin
, viola
, oboe
, and the four-string banjo. Younger son Leon has worked for various high tech companies in Silicon Valley and plays banjo infrequently. He is married and the father of two children.
Both sons were original members of Tagawa's all youngster Junior Banjo Band. Leon performed up until the band's last public appearance in 1985.
Tagawa enjoys cooking, having been a chef and the owner of a Japanese restaurant in Cupertino, California. He is also watch enthusiast who enjoys finding bargains on Girard-Perregaux
, Cartier
, and other premier watch brands.
Officially retired, Tagawa enjoys an active life as a traveling musician, band leader, and grandfather.
Harry Reser
Harry F. Reser was an American banjo player and bandleader. Born in Piqua, Ohio, Reser was best known as the leader of The Clicquot Club Eskimos.- Career :...
'. A 2003 inductee into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame, Tagawa often performs as the headline act at banjo jazz festivals and shows. He is also the international good will ambassador for the Peninsula Banjo Band
Peninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
.
Early career
Born in Tokyo, Japan, a 21-year-old Tagawa was introduced to the banjoBanjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
by one of Japan's top banjoists and recording artists, Takashi Tsunoda, in 1956. Although he started on guitar, he found his calling upon picking up a four-string tenor banjo. Shortly thereafter Tagawa purchased a used tenor banjo for US$20.00. After graduating from Senshu University
Senshu University
is a private university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Former "Senshu College" was founded in 1880, the first school in Japan comprising Economics and Law Departments to systematically offer a specialized educational curriculum in the Japanese language....
with a degree in Economics, he became a student of Tsunoda's. Tagawa was an apt student and quickly developed a style and manner of his own. After three months of lessons and practicing Tagawa became a professional banjo player and started earning money from his performances.
Tagawa joined one of the premier country-western
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
bands in Tokyo playing lead banjo on a two-year tour. The group played at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He then joined the Dixieland Dukes as a soloist for three years. Tokyo's fabulous Gaslight Club was his next stop on his ladder of success as a featured entertainer. His ever widening repertoire began to include favorite songs of other nations.
Later Achievements
In 1964 the owner of the Sakura Gardens restaurant in Mountain View, CaliforniaMountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
was in Tokyo for the summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
and caught Tagawa's act. He was so impressed by Tagawa's extraordinary skill with a tenor banjo and versatility that he offered him a contract to play at his restaurant in the U.S. This break for Tagawa was also a great break for the jazz enthusiasts of Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. After reaching the United States, Zenzo Tagawa was rapidly Americanized to Charlie Tagawa and soon after he was discovered by numerous restaurant patrons as well as other banjo players in the area. Tagawa performed at Sakura Gardens, and its successor restaurant Imperial Gardens, for a total of fifteen years.
Over those years he developed a loyal following of fans who would come regularly to enjoy his musical talent. On many evenings, one or another of his banjo or Washtub bass
Washtub bass
The washtub bass, or "gutbucket", is a stringed instrument used in American folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. Although it is possible for a washtub bass to have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional washtub basses have a single string whose pitch is adjusted by...
("gut bucket") playing friends would drop in to listen or to jam
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
. He often augmented his experience and repertoire by playing with local musicians. This also included performances at other venues one of which a stint at San Francisco's Red Garter beer palace and night club that provided continuous entertainment. The Red Garter clubs were hotbeds of banjoists.
It was in 1966 that Tagawa was asked to join a local band and met Chuck Ray. Ray was a banjo teacher and the leader of a fledgling group called the Cupertino Banjo Band. His interest and passion for the banjo was fueled in part by his frequent performances at a Shakey's Pizza Parlor
Shakey's Pizza
Shakey's Pizza is a pizza restaurant chain based in the United States. The chain currently has about 500 stores globally, and about 60 in the United States.-History:...
. The Shakey's Pizza chain was known for its longtime use of banjo music in its restaurants. Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson
Sherwood Johnson
Sherwood "Shakey" Johnson was the founder of Shakey's Pizza.-Early history:He was born in Sacramento, California, USA, the son of a California deputy attorney general, and a graduate of Christian Brothers High School . In 1943, after graduating, Johnson joined the U.S...
personally played dixieland jazz piano to entertain patrons. Initially started in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, the Shakey's Pizza Parlors became known outside Sacramento, not for its pizza, but for the jazz program it sponsored on a regional radio network. Shakey's used banjo players performing (and jamming to) an array of Dixieland and Ragtime classics plus hits of the early 1900s, 20s, and 30s similar to the format of Jack Dupen's Red Garter club in San Francisco which spurred nationwide demand for banjo players and bands. Many others, thrilled by the music, sought out banjo teachers to learn to play. Fortuitous timing for Tagawa.
With Tagawa's leadership and reputation the Cupertino Banjo Band grew at a steady pace, so much so that they temporarily changed the group's name to the Golden Gate Banjo Band. Then in 1971 the group voted to be known as the Peninsula Banjo Band as acknowledgment that members came from as far south as Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
and Burlingame
Burlingame, California
Burlingame is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located on the San Francisco Peninsula and has a significant shoreline on San Francisco Bay. The city is named after diplomat Anson Burlingame. It is renowned for its many surviving examples of Victorian architecture, its affluence, and...
to the north on the San Francisco Peninsula
San Francisco Peninsula
The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is in Santa Clara County, including the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Mountain...
.
In 1978 Tagawa's reputation earned him an invitation to perform with a group of musicians from Japan. Yoshio Toyama's Dixieland Saints performed in concert at Stanford University. The session also generated a recording released on LP, Live "Stanford University", in May of that year.
Musical Development
Tagawa was once a protegé of the great tenor banjoist, Harry Reser, who advised and encouraged Tagawa in his quest for perfection in single string technique. Out of respect and admiration for Reser, Tagawa will on occasion perform one of Reser's original compositions such as The Cat and the Dog, Cracker Jack, or Lolly Pops.Educator & Music Director
As an educator, Tagawa can lay claim to having taught 200–300 students, many of whom have gone onto successful musical careers. Some of these musicians include Bill LowreyBill Lowrey (musician)
Bill Lowrey is an American musical entertainer and banjoist from California. He has been a featured performer or headliner at a variety of jazz festivals around the U.S. for over fifteen years...
, Kevin McCabe
Kevin McCabe
Kevin McCabe is an American economist and economic theorist who serves as the director of the Center for the Study of Neuroeconomics at George Mason University.Kevin McCabe received his Ph.D. in 1985 from the University of Pennsylvania...
, and Scotty Plummer
Scotty Plummer
Scotty Plummer was a highly regarded banjo player who made a name for himself as a youngster in both the United States and Canada and earned the title "Prince of Banjo"...
. He has been the music director of the Peninsula Banjo Band
Peninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
for all but one year since 1966. As a full-time performer and music teacher in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and into the 2000s, Tagawa can claim responsibility for teaching most of the band's members.
Tagawa has also had great success in instructing children. He uses a modified form of the Suzuki method
Suzuki method
The Suzuki method is a method of teaching music that emerged in the mid-20th century.-Background:The Suzuki Method was conceived in the mid-20th century by Shin'ichi Suzuki, a Japanese violinist who desired to bring beauty to the lives of children in his country after the devastation of World War II...
to teach young students to play the banjo singly and in a group. In 1972, a band was formed by group of Tagawa's young students. They called their group the Junior Banjo Band and its purpose was the application of what they had learned along with the creation of discipline and musicianship. Practice under Tagawa's direction, with the cooperation of their parents, made this possible. The group consisted of young people ranging in age from eleven to sixteen years with six months to five years experience. It was difficult to maintain a constant high level of performance without some of the experienced players who had to leave the group when they graduate on their seventeenth birthday. With Tagawa's diligence and patience, new players rose up to fill the ranks.
Soon after forming, the band was performing for the public on television shows and in various venues such as Marriott's Great America amusement park, county fairs, and at various charitable organizations' functions and clubs such as Rotary Clubs
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, Lions Clubs
Lions Clubs International
Lions Clubs International is a secular service organization with over 44,500 clubs and more than 1,368,683 members in 191 countries around the world founded by Melvin Jones Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States, the organization aims to meet the needs of communities on a local and...
, Optimist Clubs
Optimist International
Optimist International is an international service club organization with 3,200 clubs and almost 100,000 members in more than 35 nations throughout the world. The international headquarters is located in St...
, and the Shriners
Shriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
.
In 1975 they played at the Fretted Instrument Guild of America
Fretted Instrument Guild of America
The Fretted Instrument Guild of America, also known as FIGA, is a non-profit international musical organization that was founded in 1957. Its membership consists of approximately 2000 people who consider themselves banjo, guitar, mandolin, ukulele and related fretted musical instrument players...
annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Before heading back to California, they took a detour to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
where the band was treated to a visit to Disney World
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
by Tagawa.
A high point for the Junior Banjo Band members was a three-week long musical friendship and sight-seeing tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the summer of 1976. With Japan-born Tagawa overseeing the excursion, twelve of the band's young players and three mothers from the group made the trip representing the cities of San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, Mountain View
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
, and Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
to their respective sister cities of Okayama, Iwata
Iwata, Shizuoka
is a city located in Shizuoka, Japan and is known for being the headquarters of the Yamaha Motor Corporation. Iwata is also home to Júbilo Iwata, a J. League soccer team, as well as Yamaha Jubilo, a rugby team. The population was 170,779 as of March 1, 2010...
, and Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
. For the duration of the trip the band changed its name to the Banjo Ambassadors. Overall the group traveled from Tokyo to Nagasaki—1200 miles (1,931.2 km)—and stopped or performed in thirteen cities. Their greatest performance was at a Banjo Jubilee jazz festival in Tokyo sponsored by the Alligator Jazz Club (Pres. Akira Tsumura). This was a combination of professional banjo players working with semi-professionals to produce a successful show. The Junior Banjo Band also played at several schools, on two television shows, on one radio show, for two Rotary Clubs, and in three Shakey's Pizza Parlors!
Sadly the Junior Banjo Band disbanded in 1985 with their last public performance at the Peninsula Banjo Band
Peninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
's annual Banjo Jubilee Jazz Festival. The five remaining members took the stage at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts
De Anza College
De Anza College is a community college located in Cupertino, California. It was founded in 1967 on the site of the Beaulieu Winery and is named after the Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza...
in Cupertino
Cupertino, California
Cupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
without Tagawa on stage leading the band. Unknown at the time that this would be the last public performance of the group, Chris Bracher, brothers Scott and Bruce Morley, Joe Wagner, and Tagawa's youngest son Leon closed out a twenty five minute set to a standing ovation. Later that year two of the older members (Morley and Wagner) graduated and left the area to attend college effectively ending the band.
The Peninsula Banjo Band era, since 1966
One of the greatest achievements and influential areas of Tagawa's life has been his involvement with the Peninsula Banjo BandPeninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
. His reputation and notoriety have been heightened by his command of the group and his ability to hone and synchronize the performance skills of a band ranging in size from twenty five to well over one hundred performers. Regarded as one of, if not arguably, the best of the large banjo bands in North America, the Peninsula Banjo Band
Peninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
has earned its fair share of accolades and fame.
Starting in 1975, the band has recorded and produced four collections of performances along with numerous "special edition" recordings distributed to band members only and not-for-sale to the public. Just Because, was released originally on an LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
(long playing) record. More! More! More! (1981) was released on both LP record and audio tape. Just One More Time (1996) was released on tape and the then new digital format, compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
(CD). That Charlie Sound (2008) is the band's most involved effort thus far. The CD includes fifteen tracks by the band and features Tagawa with a small combo that includes his sons Nori and Leon along with Bill Lowrey
Bill Lowrey (musician)
Bill Lowrey is an American musical entertainer and banjoist from California. He has been a featured performer or headliner at a variety of jazz festivals around the U.S. for over fifteen years...
. This is currently the only professional recording that captures Tagawa's virtuosity on the tenor banjo. None of these recordings would have been possible without his direction, discipline, and determination to come as close to achieving performance perfection as a large band is capable.
Philanthropy
In 1974 the members of the Peninsula Banjo BandPeninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
elected Tagawa as their first president in preparation to file as a charitable, nonprofit
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
California corporation. This was in response to the success of the previous year's inaugural Banjo Jubilee Jazz Festival. The Jubilees are a means to generate a relatively large fund to then donate to a worthy cause or deserving charitable group. Tagawa contributes countless hours towards the production of each annual jazz festival that includes the selection and booking of the participating bands and soloists as well as creating custom arrangements for the Peninsula Banjo Band
Peninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
's performance.
As an experienced band leader, Tagawa has been responsible for creating banjo oriented arrangements for all but a few of the over 250 songs in the band library. He has continuously and without hesitation donated these arrangements for the benefit of the band and its fans.
Additionally, Tagawa devotes many hours a year to performing as a community service for various groups that normally could not afford to hire a musical group let alone a single professional musician.
Recognition
Tagawa's reputation has spread far and wide. In 1967 he was elected "Best Banjo Player of the Year" by the New Orleans Jazz Club of Northern CaliforniaNorthern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. George Barnes
George Barnes (musician)
George Barnes was a world-renowned swing jazz guitarist, who claimed he played the first electric guitar in 1931, preceding Charlie Christian by six years. George Barnes made the first recording of an electric guitar in 1938 in sessions with Big Bill Broonzy.-Biography:George Barnes was born in...
, writing in England's BMG Magazine, said that (Tagawa) is one of that rare breed who is dedicated to play and teach the banjo as it should be played. Tagawa said, "Playing the banjo is my life—I love it." Tagawa continued to receive high praise and accolades for his playing over the years. This culminated in 2003 when he was inducted into the Four String Banjo Hall of Fame
Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame Members
The National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame recognizes musicians. bands, or companies that have made a distinct contribution to the four-string banjo performance, educational, or manufacturing communities or towards the promotion of the four-string banjo...
for his musical education efforts in May. He traveled to the American Banjo Museum, at the time, in Guthrie, Oklahoma
Guthrie, Oklahoma
Guthrie is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 9,925 at the 2000 census.Guthrie was the territorial and later the first state capital for Oklahoma...
to be honored.
Filmed in June 2001 (airing in October 21), Tagawa and the Peninsula Banjo Band
Peninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
were featured in a segment of the television show Bay Area Backroads hosted by Doug McConnell
Doug McConnell
Doug McConnell is a television journalist who has focused on environmental issues, with programs on the air continuously since 1982. He has created, produced and hosted many series, special programs, and news projects for local, national and international distribution...
and produced for Bay Area station KRON
KRON-TV
KRON-TV, virtual channel 4 , is a television station in San Francisco, California, serving as the Bay Area affiliate of the MyNetworkTV programming service; the station is owned by Young Broadcasting...
, an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate. The episode is archived on the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
website SFGate.com and viewable here (Quicktime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
format). After the main segment, the episode closes with a short segment with McConnell
Doug McConnell
Doug McConnell is a television journalist who has focused on environmental issues, with programs on the air continuously since 1982. He has created, produced and hosted many series, special programs, and news projects for local, national and international distribution...
singing When the Saints Go Marching In
When the Saints Go Marching In
"When the Saints Go Marching In", often referred to as "The Saints", is an American gospel hymn that has taken on certain aspects of folk music. The precise origins of the song are not known. Though it originated as a spiritual, today people are more likely to hear it played by a jazz band...
with the band.
In September 2001 during the annual Banjo Jubilee jazz festival Tagawa was awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Banjos Unlimited—a nonprofit association of banjo bands and individual banjo players dedicated to the preservation of the banjo and its music. And again that day Tagawa was further acknowledged as the 2001 Jubilee Honoree for his contributions to the Peninsula Banjo Band
Peninsula Banjo Band
The Peninsula Banjo Band is an American musical group and 5013 non-profit foundation that is dedicated to preservation of the heritage and musical legacy of the four-string banjo as well as raising money for cancer related and other notable charities...
. Lastly, arguably one of the proudest moments in the life of a music teacher, twelve of Tagawa's former students attended the festival for a Junior Banjo Band reunion performance. Former band members from the entire thirteen year span attended. Many had not touched their instruments since the 1970s or 80s and one would think that it would be difficult to play even for just one performance. Due largely to Tagawa's adaptation of the Suzuki method for instruction to play the banjo, in a practice session the day before their performance, the group synchronized their playing within the span one song. What was more amazing was the fact that some of these former students had never performed together, previously having joined and left the band before later members.
Personal life
Tagawa was married to Masako Tagawa who died in the mid-1990s after a short-term battle with cancer. Her musical contribution to the Tagawa family was as a piano player and teacher.Tagawa is father to two sons, Nori and Leon. Each is a very talented musician in his own right. His older son, Nori, often performs with him at jazz festivals and banjo shows. When Nori is not performing he is a full-time violin teacher and freelance professional musician. He plays an array of instruments that include: cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
, and the four-string banjo. Younger son Leon has worked for various high tech companies in Silicon Valley and plays banjo infrequently. He is married and the father of two children.
Both sons were original members of Tagawa's all youngster Junior Banjo Band. Leon performed up until the band's last public appearance in 1985.
Tagawa enjoys cooking, having been a chef and the owner of a Japanese restaurant in Cupertino, California. He is also watch enthusiast who enjoys finding bargains on Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux is a high-end Swiss watch manufacture with its origins dating back to 1791. It is situated in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and is a part of the Sowind group, a subsidiary of PPR.- History :...
, Cartier
Cartier SA
Cartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
, and other premier watch brands.
Officially retired, Tagawa enjoys an active life as a traveling musician, band leader, and grandfather.
Discography
- Just Because (PBB Recordings, 1976, first edition on LP & cassette)
- The Stars and Stripes are Forever (C. Tagawa and his Junior Banjo Band, 1977, first edition on LP & cassette)
- Dixieland Saints, Live "Stanford University" (Yoshio Toyama, 1978)
- More! More! More! (PBB Recordings, 1981, first edition on LP & cassette)
- Just One More Time! (PBB Recordings, 1996, first edition on CD & cassette)
- Just Because, second edition (Discmakers, 2002, remastered, reissued on CD)
- More! More! More!, second edition (Discmakers, 2002, remastered, reissued on CD)
- King of Banjo Players - Mr. Charlie Tagawa, His Friends At Minton House Recorded live in Yokohama, Japan, Jan. 11, 2006 (JasRac, 2006, Musicell/Advance Co.)
- That Charlie Sound (Suspect Studios/Discmakers, 2008, first edition on CD)
- The Stars and Stripes are Forever, second edition (Discmakers, TBD, remastered, to be reissued on CD) – unreleased
Music Shows and Jazz Festivals
A listing of the Music Shows and Jazz Festivals that Tagawa has headlined or participated:- Banjo Jubilee Jazz Festival
- Banjo Hall of Fame Inductions & Bricktown Banjo Bash
- FIGA Convention
- North American International Banjo Convention
- Sacramento Banjo-Rama
- Summer Jazz Banjo Festival
- Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee
See also
- List of banjo players
- Banjo Hall of Fame MembersFour-String Banjo Hall of Fame MembersThe National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame recognizes musicians. bands, or companies that have made a distinct contribution to the four-string banjo performance, educational, or manufacturing communities or towards the promotion of the four-string banjo...
- List of banjo bands (worldwide)
- DixielandDixielandDixieland music, sometimes referred to as Hot jazz, Early Jazz or New Orleans jazz, is a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.Well-known jazz standard songs from the...
- RagtimeRagtimeRagtime is an original musical genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918. Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged," rhythm. It began as dance music in the red-light districts of American cities such as St. Louis and New Orleans years before being published...
- Cupertino, CaliforniaCupertino, CaliforniaCupertino is an affluent suburban city in Santa Clara County, California in the U.S., directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the time of the 2010 census. Forbes...
- Japanese diasporaJapanese diasporaThe Japanese diaspora, and its individual members known as , are Japanese emigrants from Japan and their descendants that reside in a foreign country...
External links
- Charlie Tagawa on the PBB website
- Charlie Tagawa on the Banjo Hall of Fame member list
- Charlie Tagawa playing Flight of the Bumblebee, amateur video
- Charlie Tagawa performing High Society (audio file) and photo gallery
- Charlie Tagawa fansite in Japan, Google translated to English from Japanese
- Charlie Tagawa performing Brahms Hungarian Dance #5. Video recorded at the Hub Pub in Tokyo, Japan (2005), link downloads a Windows Media file, Google translated to English from Japanese