Tokyo Art Foundation Chairman Haruhisa Handa sings on stage at Nakano Sunplaza in Tokyo's Nakano Ward on Jan. 15. | TAF
The “New Year’s Solo Jazz Extravaganza!” was held with the support of the Worldwide Support for Development (WSD), a nonprofit organization Handa also chairs, with all proceeds being donated to the Lesotho-based charity Sentebale, which promotes efforts to eradicate AIDS.
Handa, who also goes by Toshu Fukami, sang 26 songs, including popular jazz standards such as Nat King Cole’s “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” Frank Sinatra’s “Fly me to the Moon” and “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. He also sang some jazzily arranged anime theme songs.
He kicked off the concert at Nakano Sunplaza in Tokyo’s Nakano Ward, with the well-known jazz number “Take the ‘A’ Train.”
As is his style, he engaged in some casual, comic banter with the audience between songs.
“When you listen to jazz, don’t be too serious. Just relax and enjoy the music however you like,” he said, after asking for some energy drinks for his band members, who Handa said average about 60 years old. A stagehand brought a box of drinks to the band.
Before singing “Fly Me to the Moon,” Handa mentioned he once sang it with multiple Grammy Award-winner Michael Bolton in Singapore.
Other songs he sang were “La Vie en Rose,” “Besame Mucho,” “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas,” “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “Moon River,” “As Time Goes By,” “Unchained Melody,” “Love Me Tender,” “You are My Destiny,” “Shadow of Your Smile,” “Beddo de Tabako wo Suwanaide” (Please Don’t Smoke in Bed),” “Mona Lisa,” “Summertime,” “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie,” “Autumn Leaves,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing,” “Hyokkori Hyotan Jima” (Hyokkori Gourd-Shaped Island). In addition to those, Handa also sang the anime theme songs of “Lupin III,” “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman” and “Mazinger Z” with a jazz twist.
read more: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/2015/01/23/special-supplements/jazz-concert-raises-money-for-aids-charity-in-lesotho/#.VMVQhMazf9t
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