WE LOVE SUNDAYS
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Blue Kimono is a blues rock band based in London, UK, inspired by the music of the 60s British blues scene. Let's meet the team:
Shuko Fujita (vocals) comes from Japan, the land of the rising sun. This is appropriate as her voice is like a ray of sun, lighting up any room with its warm vibrato. This would be a good achievement for a trained, experienced singer but for a comparative novice who is deaf in one ear it is nothing short of miraculous and a testament to her natural talent and pluck. Shuko's early exposure to music came in the form of family karaoke nights featuring Japanese pop music from the enka and kayoukyoku genres and traditional Okinawan folk music, featuring the shamisen, a type of three stringed guitar. Since moving to London, she has also moved on to blues music and in a short space of time, has become a regular fixture on the jam scene there.
You may, or may not, like the nationalistic music of Jean Sibelius but when it comes to rock'n'roll, Aristo Doukas (guitar and vocals) is your Finn of choice! Initially inspired to pick up the guitar by a pretty girl (I can't think of a better reason), his first influence was Albert King. As well as blues, Aristo has played many other styles over the years, including dance, rock and even hardcore punk, be they covers or originals. He is what's known in guitar circles as a "Strat man" and the sounds he can conjure from his pedal board have to be heard to be believed!
"Broonsallroond" is a phrase you might hear if you visited a pub in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne but with Woodie Grooves (bass and vocals), our resident Geordie, bloosallroond might be more appropriate! As a multi-instrumentalist, playing both guitar and bass, he has a range of influences including Jimi Hendrix, Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser, from which you will deduce that he is deeply immersed in 60s blues rock music. His taste ranges more widely, however and encompasses both classical and folk music. Indeed, the flamboyance of his playing is matched only by his dress sense!
“I blame it all on my old man, a trad jazz clarinettist!” So says Jerry Claydon (drums and vocals), who is an Essex Boy in name only. He studied music performance and theory at college, initially training on classical and jazz guitar before switching to drums and keyboard. His main influence is blues rock and he counts Ken Pustelnik (Groundhogs) among his drum heroes. As well as having played in a number of local bands over the years, Jerry is a regular jammer and occasional house drummer on the London blues scene where he has played with Jack Hutchinson, Aaron Keylock and others. Jerry plays Pearl drums and Paiste cymbals.
NOT SOUP. An eclectic, riff-driven 4 piece from Birmingham, UK. Serving up a blend of psychedelia and obscurity via subversive earworm hooks and mind-bending rhythms.