Clarinetist Nathan Tokunaga turned seventeen in December 2023. Let that fact sink in.
He has technical mastery of the clarinet and other reeds, no small thing, but what he has in abundance is a fine musical intelligence. In every phrase, he shows his deep understanding of the tradition, the history of the music, but he isn’t an A.I. creation: he goes for himself, phrasing in his own way. And we are glad.
Here he takes on a Benny Goodman feature — Fats Waller’s STEALIN’ APPLES — usually played faster than fast — and delightfully shows us how it is done in 2023.
He’s accompanied by the nobly empathic Dave Stuckey, guitar, with the Hot House Gang rhythm section: Josh Collazo, drums; Mikiya Matsuda, double bass; Chris Dawson, piano. All of this good noise happened at the Jazz Bash by the Bay in Monterey, California, in March 2023:
And on a personal level, which is more important than we ever want to say, Nathan is much more adult than many of the chronological adults I encounter: gracious, humble, funny, and seriously aware. I didn’t discover him: others have had the pleasure of watching him become the person he is meant to be, but I certainly admire him and look forward to the next time I will be in the room when he and his peers make music. Onwards, Youngblood!
And a big cyber-hug to Messrs. Stuckey, Dawson, Matsuda, and Collazo, who all set the earth spinning in the nicest swinging ways.
May your happiness increase!
JAZZ LIVES 