JR vs. Kitaro

[apcastle]

Yesterday, as I was browsing the net, I got caught up with a Japanese guy named Kitaro, and I was very amazed with his musical ability. Isn't it fair enough to compare him to Jordan Rudess?

And oh, I was amazed by their beard! check out the pics... i face them off... LOL!

http://www.filenanny.com/files/46dff7e742fd76763/JR_Kitaro.JPG



Check out Kitaro's profile at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitaro

[Analogkid]

No way can that Kung Fu beard hang with the the masters King Tut!

[apcastle]

Any other thoughts?

[meinhold]

I really need to see some videos or something ...

[apcastle]

I really need to see some videos or something ...


To view Kitaro's videos, just go to youtube.com, and type Kitaro as your keyword. You can watch any vids of his.

Interesting note: he has also collaborated with Yes's Jon Anderson, and most of all, won Grammys.

[Mantarkus]

Sorry but once you've listened to ONE Kitaro's song you've listened to all his catalog, there is no comparison with the diversity of JR's music.

[Spacehog]

He worked with Marty Friedman on the beautiful album Scenes, from what I remember. Been a long time since I pulled that one out of the CD rack.

[apcastle]

Sorry but once you've listened to ONE Kitaro's song you've listened to all his catalog, there is no comparison with the diversity of JR's music.

It is true that JR is more diverse and technical compared to Kitaro... and I know Kitaro can't do what JR is doing. However, I believe Kitaro can be considered a virtuoso just like JR, even though they are in a different world. What's amazing about Kitaro is that he learned to play multiple instruments by his intuition. According to him, he never learned to play them... he just trusts his heart and feelings.... it's coming from heaven.

By the way, his primary instrument is his battery of keyboards. He stated that he learned how to play keyboards by ear, and all of his synthesizers are analog. However, he said that digital synths are easier to program. I guess the analog thing worked for him.

[Athox]

If he actually composed all the tracks in his songs, then he's got my respect. It's like writing a symphony, then. I especially liked "Matsuri". Class.

[apcastle]

If he actually composed all the tracks in his songs, then he's got my respect. It's like writing a symphony, then.

Yes, he does. His compositions are nature-inspired. In fact, he's a composer, record producer, and an arranger.

Let me quote one paragraph taken from Wikipedia

Kitaro is very modest. "Nature inspires me. I am only a messenger", he has said. "To me, some songs are like clouds, some are like water".[citation needed] Since 1983, his reverence for nature has led Kitaro to annually give thanks to Mother Nature in a special "concert" on Mount Fuji or near his house in Colorado. On the day of the full moon of August he beats on the Taiko drum from dusk to dawn. Frequently his hands become bloodied, but he continues to pound.

Interesting note: he's a self-taught keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist, while JR has undergone intensive and rigid training at Julliard.

[Krahn]

@apcastle
As far as I heard his music on youtube, I thought he was fantastic!
Speaking of Kitaro, do you know Isao Tomita? Tomita is a very famous synthesizer player as well. Actually, I don't know either of their music so much though...:redface: If you were interested in him, check him out. I like Tomita's style.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isao_Tomita

[apcastle]

@apcastle
As far as I heard his music on youtube, I thought he was fantastic!
Speaking of Kitaro, do you know Isao Tomita? Tomita is a very famous synthesizer player as well. Actually, I don't know either of their music so much though...:redface: If you were interested in him, check him out. I like Tomita's style.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isao_Tomita


I like him too... his style is somewhat similar to Rick Wakeman. He is one of the pioneer users of Minimoog. I also like his tone poem synched with animated movies. I think JR somewhat applies this style in DT concerts. If you notice, right when Jordan joined Dream Theater, they included three widescreens in their concerts, and it was him who suggested to display abstract and realistic images in relation to the song.

Sounds that they have the same feather but in a different flock. :biggrin:

[Mantarkus]

According to him, he never learned to play them...

Somehow reading that statement doesn't surprise me, his music is just playing beutiful melodies with the same synth presets on every album. I was into all this "new age" music years ago along with Enya, John Tesh and Yanni and other similar artists until i discovered ELP and YES and wow!!! These new guys (to me) where playing not only beautiful melodies at times but there was also diversity in every song. So when I went back to check out my "new age" collection, heck it was like "ok, I got your theme but what are you gonna do with it... or maybe i should be astral traveling by now?" Still i find Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre's older work very cool.

:rolleyes: JMHO