First Note by Masa Ishikawa

First Note is my second jazz composition studio album, which consists of 6 original compositions written for piano, bass and drums. The year of 2023 marks the 20th year since I came to the United States. I am dedicating this album to all the people I have gotten to know in this country who have been an immense support throughout these years. The title, First Note, is the reflection of my past musical journey as well as the hope and excited to embark on another future endeavor.

First Note (1:25)
The title track of this album is a short piano solo composition. The music expresses something new and beautiful is about to happen, but the moment right before is somewhat quiet and mystifying.

Yoake - at the break of dawn - (6:43)
I am dedicating this composition to the students that | taught at Gustavus Adolphus College. I am grateful to have worked with these students, and their positive energy has always been inspiring and encouraging to me. With this composition, I am wishing all the students a bright and joyful future.

Kohaku - eyes of a wolf - (8:13)
I was inspired to write this piece by a creative writer with whom I had a residency together in Nebraska City. The writer was working on a creative nonfiction about wolves, and through our dialogue, I grew my interest in knowing more about this creature. Kohaku means amber in Japanese and this is a common eye color of a wolf.

Dolce far Niente (sweet doing nothing) (9:56)
I had a wonderful experience visiting Scarperia (a small town near Florence, Italy) in 2012. Throughout my stay, the whole town was tranquil and peaceful. Recently, one of my Italian friends introduced me to this phrase (Dolce far Niente -sweet doing nothing-), and I was inspired and resonated with this concept. With this piece, I wanted to express that simplicity can be one of the most grateful things to realize and appreciate in life.

1 8 1 6 - homage to Mount Bandai - (6:47)
The composition is my tribute to Mount Bandai located in Fukushima, Japan. The title 1816
comes from the altitude of this mountain (1816 meters). There is a well-known traditional song, called Aizu Bandaisan, which tells various folk stories about the mountain. I was inspired by the music and wanted to compose a piece to pay homage to Mount Bandai.

San San Nana (6:13)
The title San San Nana associates with a certain rhythmic pattern that is commonly recognized in Japan. The word San means number three, and Nana means number seven in English. In my country, this specific pattern is often used during sports matches to cheer for members in a team. This same rhythmic figure can also be found in various traditional folk songs in the world.

As a pianist and composer, Masa Ishikawa has performed at various jazz festivals and concerts in Italy, China, Japan and the United States. Several of his compositions have been published from UNC Jazz Press.

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