From gymnastics to guitar for Japanese musician

For New York’s Nobuki Takamen, it was either going to be gymnastics or music.

Originally from Hiroshima, Japan, Takamen says he started playing the guitar around the age of 14, about the time he started to get very good at gymnastics, but suffered an injury in the gymnasium.

“At the same time I was starting music, I was practising gymnastics,” he said. “When I had a bad accident, I gradually made the change from gymnastics to guitar playing. I was actually really good at gymnastics, but I kept going with guitar — now we’re here.”

After moving from Hiroshima to Tokyo, then moving to Boston in his early twenties and settling down in New York years later, Takamen says it was the American folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel that made him chase a career in music.

“There was something about their music that made me want to play,” he said. “As time has gone on I’ve found new music to listen to, but Simon and Garfunkel is one band I remember that really got me into music.”

Though you won’t see Takamen performing the splits or a back flip on stage, he says his music relies heavily on improvisation, his favourite feature of jazz music.

“I think improvisation is my favourite part,” he said. “Improv is really what made me want to play and make jazz music. When I’m playing music I try and make it something new every time. What I play changes because of so many different things, like how I’m feeling, how the crowd feels, there’s so many factors.”

After playing jazz festivals in Calgary and Lethbridge, Takamen is back to Medicine Hat this year for the fifth time. He says he always enjoys his time north of the border, especially when in Medicine Hat.

“Every time I come here I love it,” he said. “I’m just finishing up a mini-tour of the province and I always have fun while in Canada. Now that I’ve been here (Medicine Hat) five times I’m starting to know where things are, and where I can go for a drink — it’s a nice city.”

Takamen will be playing a show Friday at Esplanade with Tim Tamashiro starting at 7:30 p.m.

For a full list of the rest of the Jazzfest shows go to, www.medicinehatjazzfest.com

NEWS PHOTO MO CRANKER Jazz guitarist Nobuki Takamen plays part of his two-hour set Thursday afternoon at Station Street Coffee Co. This year’s Jazzfest is Takamen's fifth in Medicine Hat, and he says it is one of his favourite festivals to take part in.