Mixing Jazz and J-Pop

I played with the J-Music Ensemble and talked with their frontman Patrick Bartley about what drew him to J-Pop and anime music as an American jazz musician, and what the differences and similarities are between the two genres as performing musicians.
Check out the J-Music Ensemble on all social media platforms, but especially their KZbins.
• "Tank!" (Cowboy Bebop ...
J-Music ensemble (featured on this gig, it's a little bit of a rotating cast!)
Patrick Bartley - Sax
Khrys Williams - Synth, Trumpet, Rap, arranging
Toby Ekpunobi - Trombone
Max Boiko - Trumpet
Jonah Moss - Trumpet (on Tank!)
Norman Edwards Jr. - Drums
Sean Richey - Guitar
Matt Wong - Keys
Me - BASS
(⌐■_■)
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⦿ Check out some more of my music ⦿
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Peace,
Adam

[@danineverything]

Starting the video with the cowboy bebop theme.freaking love it already.

[@jaseneffendy17]

3 2 1 LET'S JAM

[@FunkadelicPancho]

The seatbelts are great

[@natheniel]

A slightly too fast, also no conga/bongo :(

[@FunkadelicPancho]

@@natheniel almost every live performance is faster

[@Mediaright]

@@natheniel Not too fast. Just different. If every performance were the same, what fun would that be?

[@annoyedspy2173]

Why is no one acknowledging the drummer like jesus that man is a god

[@alonsol2344]

AnnoyedSpy I thought exactly the same. Why is that drummer not being interviewed?

[@annoyedspy2173]

Diego Luyo i mean i like Bartley being interviewed and he’s also extremely talented but id like some kind of mention of Norman (the drummer) apart from a casual zoom-in

[@raenastra]

Agreed! He's having so much fun at 8:10... I'm pretty sure that was him yelling in excitement at 8:22

[@annoyedspy2173]

Debashis Biswas lol yeah he likes playing drums

[@annoyedspy2173]

Debashis Biswas also in 4:15

[@lbird2]

"Optimistic rhythm with a really melancholy melody" - Yeah, that's it. He summed it up brilliantly with those few words.

[@mahchoo]

7:09 yup u right

[@agustinzapata6242]

so true

[@brettross7252]

He blew my mind back to last week lol

[@2BsWraith]

Stickerbrush Symphony in Smash Ultimate is almost the opposite of that, and still amazing.

[@tibpth.S-ofun.8394]

7

[@hopedean6424]

5:13 he put his whole soul into that

[@yuukistraussable]

U know what is the title of the song they playing?

[@bluebox2395]

@@yuukistraussable it's a persona 5 theme for one of the character. The girl with a glasses and an otaku onr

[@windews3227]

toccino. The days when my mother was there

[@NegoClau]

And in the end of his solo he achieved his final form!

[@functionform]

Just passed it and I knew I would find that timestamp down here. He's got it for sure.

[@TrustTheFund]

I'm so in love with the half-concert half-lecture style. These are my favorite kind of educational videos.

[@p3achii]

couldn't have said it better myself

[@chunkycheeks9101]

IKR AND THE MUSIC IS SOOOO GOOODD

[@thisisntsergio1352]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD

[@Sekichi72]

I wholeheartedly agree. :D Entertained all the way through and learned new things.

[@prussianowl233]

Agreed

[@aerocx4712]

"It's the simultaneous feeling of the optimistic rhythm, with the really melancholic melody. And that's what creates that feeling that J-pop has." Good lord I've never been so enlightened in my life. It makes so, so much sense now.

[@Shiirai]

I know right? I've been trying to explain why Japanese music speaks to me so much to my writing partner and I've never been able to explain it quite so *right*.

[@FlyingPirahna1]

Yup! I've been trying to put that feeling into words forever but could never quite put my finger on it, Patrick really nailed it with that description.

[@axleblaze123]

Haha this also describes pop punk too !

[@SoapSoapCrayon]

It's interesting how a lot of stories that come from Japan can echo this same feeling too.

[@Shinkajo]

Aah, so that's why I detest it.

[@ariashellington1962]

Adam's reaction to "Tank" was so apt. "It was like an adrenaline rush, that last tune. Holy crap."

[@KOME11]

He started the video by saying "OK" which is the first word in the song. He puts so much effort in to these videos.

[@jjbb2249]

I see what you did there;)

[@xleepy4006]

@@KOME11 the first word in the song is "i"

[@samt3412]

​@xleepy4006 yeah, the "OK" is after the "Let's blow this thing, get everybody and the stuff together"

[@maxxhart9322]

Ievan Polkka is absolutely fascinating thing in this context. It’s a Finnish folk song that wound up being arranged for Vocaloid following a very hard-to-explain series of memes, and wound up blowing up big time and impacting the j-pop genre as a whole. It’s a weird world we live in.

[@ANZARIZ_43]

Well Grimes is married to elon musk and blue man group collabed with ajr it truly is a weird world

[@valteninblehl2858]

How did Adam not know this Song? He seems so confused haha

[@gillhewerfamily6550]

Wait hold up, I listened to him sing it and then listened to the song, and same key. Does he have perfect pitch? Did they play it before? We may never know.

[@blorblin]

​@@ANZARIZ_43 not anymore lol

[@yoman8673]

The legend of the vibing cat

[@TheHerpieDerpies]

Bartley is one hell of a knowledgeable guy. Maybe a recurring guest?

[@MisterAppleEsq]

I for sure wanna see more of them.

[@TJMC0834]

Hell yes!

[@obedpoto-poto5847]

Omg yes

[@Tenon96]

Yes, please

[@kylestevensanders]

Yes!!!

[@LyricalLull]

7:09 "It's the simultaneous feeling of the optimistic rhythm with the really melancholy melody." That was so beautifully explained.

[@dylanlucas9720]

For real dude, that quote right there is what's gonna make me remember this video

[@apothecurio]

that line alone gives me insight on how to write awesome and powerful melodies.

[@Cal3000]

Yeah, It makes you understand why your favorite upbeat anime songs make you feel really sad at the same time.

[@jigeumjieun]

Dude is spot on with the explanation. I'd love to hear a fusion of Japanese melodies with my country's music

[@Reydriel]

This was EXACTLY it. It's why so many of the melodies feel so powerful, in the classic Japanese bittersweet style.

[@itsapieceofcake64]

「憂いのあるメロディー」と「楽観的なリズム」ないし「悲しさ」と「喜び」の融合はJ-popの根幹にあるものだと思う。近年のJ-popでも歌詞は暗いがメロディーは長調みたいなパターンが多い気がする。もちろん逆もある。

[@neo-kq9xk]

素晴らしい解釈をありがとうございます。日本人として嬉しいです。 前向きなリズムと憂鬱なメロディが同時に生み出す感覚というのはとても腑に落ちました。 苦しいこともあるけれど楽しい事もある、それが人生という感覚を音楽で現しているのは よく感じる部分です。

[@fudgesauce]

Adam, the variety of your videos is surpassed only the the quality.

[@markocon1598]

video upload date: *32 minutes ago* this comment: *8 hours ago* HMMM

[@andresdavid]

@@markocon1598 Are the video released early to Patreon subscribers maybe?

[@fudgesauce]

@@markocon1598 -- I have a time travel pass. Get yours here: www.patreon.com/adamneely/overview

[@axeldeeker5644]

Can't agree more, he needs some kind of award.

[@EchoHeo]

the the what

[@DasOmen02]

Neely's weeb awakening has begun ladies and gentlemen *we got 'im*

[@K-Viz]

Well didn't it happen already with the Shakuhachi video?

[@InsidiousOne]

Waiting for the "Why vocaloids are awesome" video

[@BrodyGibbs]

YESSSS

[@EmiTheLoomistar]

Waiting for the "Why Love Live is awesome" video

[@John_Malka-tits]

Gentlemen, and gentlemen with fem avis, we got em! XD

[@bronsoncarder2491]

"The straight up feeling of stressed and de-stressed melodic tension." The perfect description of the blues, from an expansive theory standpoint (as opposed to, "if you play these notes, it will sould bluesy"). "An optimistic rhythm, with a really melancholy melody." The perfect description of everything I love about J-Jazz (to coin a phrase). And then his whole point about how some of this music is based on choral music. When he sung a theme from Kirby, and I could absolutely hear it as temple choral ensemble music... That seriously blew my mind. This man is a genius, and I need him to describe more things. No one has ever been as good at describing music as this man. lol

[@name1024]

agree

[@maniacguitar]

agreed

[@barbiebeckford2988]

Agree

[@gillhewerfamily6550]

Genius, and also really passionate and energetic about the music and mad skilled too.

[@KeyboardManiaGuy]

Our Japanese J-Pop music was born from the enormous influence of Western 'rock, funk, jazz and blues', which we have always admired, but it is truly inspiring to see how the Westerners are now receiving something new from J-Pop and developing it into new music. What a wonderful spiral of happiness.

[@frvits]

7:22 - 8:10 This is it. I could never clearly put into words what J-Pop meant to me and why I loved it, and Patrick perfectly described it. That man is a god.

[@babytiny5807]

I just pointed this out in my own comment before reading others, it's nice to know others appreciate how important that statement was

[@LoveYourself-un5ct]

Same here. I couldn’t have explained it better 😊

[@cylepsycc1050]

That’s my impression of 6451 progression

[@BeN-bn5yb]

@@LoveYourself-un5ct how tho

[@LoveYourself-un5ct]

BENZDIK 3.0 whoops I just realized a typo in my comment. I meant “couldn’t” not “could’ve” my bad

[@imaXkillXya]

Video starts with Cowboy Bebop theme. *What ever happens, happens*

[@markszabo3936]

50 seconds in and I'm already *H A R D*

[@jakubgabris6277]

Tank!

[@RosichXIII]

Adam's 'OK" after intro, though.

[@SpiacyLos]

3-2-1 let's go.

[@dreamsoccerleague983]

As a Japanese, I enjoyed his play and talk so much. It's interesting how american musician listens to j-pop.

[@TheOneAndOnlyHypnotist]

oehayo

[@dreamsoccerleague983]

@@TheOneAndOnlyHypnotist do you mean Ohayo which means Hello in Japanese? If so, Ohayo to you too! Have a good day bro

[@ashaypallav4158]

Konichiwa, watashiwa

[@TheOneAndOnlyHypnotist]

@@ashaypallav4158 tu indian hain?

[@montexic5201]

Ashay Pallav lmao tf

[@markelaranbarricampo477]

Can we all apreciate this incredible bass solo on 2:17

[@08_benawajavapermadi_xiimi74]

does anyone know what the song is called?

[@sirjeanpepper2492]

​@@08_benawajavapermadi_xiimi74 it's Life Goes On from the Persona 5 OST. This band has a recording of their version on Spotify with Adam on bass too, though the solo is diff I think

[@jasoncollado296]

Patrick seems knowledgeable af, and I have a lot of respect for Adam for seemingly acknowledging that and largely taking a backseat this episode. Good stuff. This is the video that made me a subscriber.

[@brendanvanwyk2834]

SAME

[@joecaljapan]

Yeah, to understand a musical concept and to articulately explain it in an understandable and clear way with passion is a great combination indeed

[@rodrigocarmonaherrera2040]

I feel like Adam might look like he just doesn’t have a lot to say, but it’s just that everything Patric says just makes a shit and a half tons of sense so you just listen, make sense of it and honestly can’t help to do anything but agree 😂

[@Helimination1]

Playing Polyrhythm, mentioning Yasutaka Nakata, and even Sweet Donut!? This guy is a Perfume fan no doubt EDIT He's the one who played saxophone at Perfume's tour. I should've known. Wow.

[@ricky-oj2ji]

Helimination1 I flipped when I heard polyrhythm. Just saw perfume live a couple weeks ago!

[@cjalmeyda9399]

Patrick 's deep passion and understanding of music is instantly contagious

[@fartmicrowave]

If being a weeb gets you videos like these recommended to you by the algorithm, then I'ma stay a weeb

[@matangabrother]

WHERE'S THE FULL LIVE SHOW?!? I'VE GOT TO SEE THE FULL LIVE SHOW NOW!!! You guys killed the Cowboy Bebop intro so good...

[@KeshigomuLife]

I really like how Adam edited the video starts with Tank! & ends with it, sounds just right!

[@FF18Cloud]

Lol, actually, J-Music has a full version of tank with them solos

[@kamisawze1552]

Goosebumps at the end of that song every time.

[@raphaelgonzales3481]

WE NEED IT

[@ABirdDad]

they only put up 4 of the songs kzbin.info/door/p961nPXSI1Wp-WkE2sRaQwvideos

[@kaitoogasawara5521]

He study Japanese Language and our culture so well... I'm proud of him as a Japanese guy.

[@SynGates771981]

WHAT WAS THE SKNG AT 7:36

[@kamoshira]

@@SynGates771981 I'm pretty sure it's Persona 5 - Days when my mother was there

[@milkoohun]

"jazz and j-pop" oh, my two favourite music styles, kinda reminds me of cowboy bebop too- "tank! starts playing" THATS IT, THERE YOU HAVE IT

[@user-jd9kn9om6q]

めちゃ分析されてて誇らしさと同時に恥ずかしささえ感じる。 自分にとっては身近な音楽が外から見ると、とても興味深いモノになるんだなぁ。感心。

[@user-ws3td3zq7e]

Hi! I’m Japanese.🇯🇵 It is your music that I like!! Thank you for covering j-pop. As a Japanese person, I'm very grateful. I am sorry that my English is so bad. ありがとう！！！ arigatou!

[@banaantjexx164]

Your English is great. keep your head up! ;)

[@user-ws3td3zq7e]

banaantjexx164 Thank you so much! ありがとう！🙌

[@deanchur]

日本のヒップホップの方が最高だ。Basi, Evisbeatsかどうか Nujabesが勧める。

[@Tmidiman]

Your English is good, and your music is awesome! So glad people are waking up to music from Japan. There is some freakishly good japanese soul, groove, Jazz, rock and so much more. (Don’t tell anyone, but the Chinese have funk grooves in their orchestra music! I kid you not!)

[@Qawsed951]

あなたの英語が完全じゃない。かんたんに分かるのができました。自信を持って下さい！私の日本語がどうであるかわからない...

[@rahzark]

2:30 when the bass solos but the girls are dancing instead of talking.

[@alanhirayama4592]

Who says bass solos suck? THAT was pretty sweet!

[@hectorvader4436]

@@alanhirayama4592 Adam said it (not all of them but most)

[@alanhirayama4592]

@@hectorvader4436 Yes, I saw his video, so this is a rebuttal, LOL.

[@finnkenyon1289]

@@alanhirayama4592 Some would call what you have done a rebuttal, but a rebuttal first indicates some understanding of the position and then provides evidence to the contrary. You have done neither. You do not recount someone's position, nor do you prove it wrong, therefore what you have done is not a rebuttal. A rebuttal ^

[@alanhirayama4592]

Finn Kenyon I must agree with you! My comment does not make logical sense, but I still like Adam’s bass solo!

[@kyopdrums]

ずっと考えていたモヤモヤが晴れました。 アメリカの演奏者は流れるような音の捉え方で音と音が繋がっている印象、 日本人の演奏者は点で音を捉えて音と音がぶつ切りの印象がありました。 言語が原因だったのかと考えると腑に落ちました。 出そうとしている音のニュアンスが根本的に違うのか。

[@jan279]

I love how even these people who went through music school still find it hard to explain what it is that makes J-Pop unique. Shows you how amazing J-Pop is.

[@WhooshWh0sh]

You know, you can have the understanding of music without going through the music school and vice versa.

[@jan279]

@@WhooshWh0sh the point is that these people are well-educated in music theory, yet J-Pop still seems mind-boggling to them. Just further proof of how amazing J-Pop is. 😁

[@nagoshi01]

Patrick is a really smart guy. Hearing his thoughts was a delight

[@stephen0793]

I was really surprised you guys didn't mention that Japan has a thriving jazz scene, with celebrated musicians like Toshiko Akiyoshi. Another thing to mention would be the enormous popularity of Japanese "city pop" in the 1980s that had a unique smooth jazz sound

[@katelivewire]

Yes!!!

[@nom5358]

stephen0793 plus current bands like Polkadot Stingray mixing vocal J-rock with jazz!

[@Lyendith]

Yes! I really love that old-school j-pop, it's so soothing. I didn't know it was called city pop. Also, everyone should read Blue Giant.

[@nhr3107]

When you mention Japanese "city pop" 1980s, and right now I'm addicted to Plastic Love by Mariya Takeuchi, can't get enough with that masterpiece music.

[@leizero]

@@nhr3107 you should listen to the song Magic Ways by Mariya's husband

[@user-jd1sb7ks7p]

Patrick Bartley氏がJPOPを聴いてるのは知らなかったです！しかもしっかり分析されてる😂日本人として嬉しい😆 いつも興味深い動画ありがとうございます

[@murphymurph8282]

I‘m thrilled to find that those Japanese composers digest the nutrition of Jazz, and then they come up with their own illustration of Jazz. That diversity of culture always gives me a shiver running up my spine

[@darcmatter7560]

You can tell if a song is from Persona 5 by listening to how much sax there is

[@hassou6349]

@「 OKAY 」 HAHA!!!

[@fanman021]

And bass

[@mattzr1550]

Persona fans when they realize saxophones exist

[@wh0srusty]

@@fanman021 slap bass

[@DeloofTegOrb]

Darcmatter I hate this comment so much

[@duchi882]

*I hear Cowboy Bebop's Tank* I like and subscribe

[@Nannada1212]

Big same fam

[@valdemar8337]

Lol yeah

[@user-yu5cp5bo2b]

日本語の字幕を付けていただいて ありがたいです(´>∀

[@orebusaiku]

日本人おった

[@lnorm2057]

Both Japanese and English have diphthongs and monopthongs. What you're actually noticing in the difference is the difference between a "stress-timed" language like English where the space between each stressed syllable is the same and unstressed syllables in between will smoosh together or spread out giving that uneven feeling rhythm and a "mora-timed" language like Japanese where the space between each mora (which is like a syllable but not exactly - each Japanese character essentially corresponds to 1 mora, so we'll usually have a consonant-vowel pair) is the same, which gives you that more constant feeling rhythm. Not your fault being trained musicians not linguists, but that's what's actually happening there jsyk

[@samuelcoudry-lemay9861]

This! I kind of stopped the video after how inaccurate was his description of Japanese. "Japenese is flat" is a very common misconception. Again, not his fault, he isn't a linguist and probably hasn't studied phoneticsm but it kinda rubbed me in the wrong way to describe japanese language with such confidence without the knowledge to back himself

[@river446]

I did not know this, thank you for clarifying!

[@Monkchelle_Kongbama]

an odd candy or a bridge made of chopsticks

[@arbitrarygreay]

You can hear it in the way Adam says sakura matsuri. The Americanised way Adam says it, saKUra matSUri, puts a longer emphasis on the middle syllable, which produces that swing rhythm. In the Japanese, it's Sakura Matsuri, with accents on the first syllable without elongating it, so both words come out as even groups of 3.

[@Monkchelle_Kongbama]

@@arbitrarygreay subaru and yamaha seem to be the only japanese brands anyone knows how to stress correctly.

[@morenoferreira1933]

I was the guy that screamed your name out at the beginning!

[@Kenzo-rf2vd]

this is true i was the scream

[@user-nz1et1fu5e]

I can confirm i was the beginning

[@supperxcarrot2858]

this is true I was the name

[@bobofufu]

KONO DIO DA

[@user-nz1et1fu5e]

Simon Boholm hi dad

[@Mezurashii5]

Wow, he described the feeling of j-pop perfectly!

[@YuukiuuYik]

right? i was shocked when i heard it, im euphoric rn, somebody said it!!

[@kito-]

I got chills!!

[@therealandrew185]

Yeah it's almost like it's... his job, his life's passion

[@Lifesizemortal]

from what i understand the Japanese take on Jazz is referred to as "Light music" which came about when Japanese musicians used reference from their own traditional music to create their own brand of Jazz, while playing with instruments considered non-traditional in their culture

[@AwesomeAcoustics]

I'm going through the japanese comments with Google Translate and it's so heartwarming to see so much gratefulness for our appreciation of J-pop, and people agreeing with the explanation of "positive rhythm + melancholic melody"

[@user-xz7er4et4m]

様々な形で自分の人生を彩ってくれた名曲たちが知れ渡り、楽しまれているのは本当に誇らしいです😊

[@Aut0mati0n]

Wait you've never seen or heard the music from Cowboy Bebop? HOMEWORK TIME.

[@shanmango]

I mean he was playing the intro

[@PollyBonanzas]

Seatbelts!

[@YuriRadavchuk]

No mention of it. Was a bit shocked as well

[@simmy7209]

3..2...1 let's jam

[@BlacktoothgrinUA]

I always feel like this particular intro from CB is just a remarkable concentrated fusion of jazz/blues grooves. Like a lesson for students. But... how fuckin' awesome it sounds!

[@ikhsanhasbi657]

When you're a music expert but also a giant weeb

[@katresan1059]

That's what I aspire to be.

[@RaynP]

That is what I am striving to be

[@kaystar64]

add me to this chain lmao

[@julianromero6381]

Me too

[@isaacb77]

Same. A weeb already, but not an expert yet.

[@user-ef7no3ow9r]

音楽は世界を回って常に進化し続けてるんですね とても素敵です😊

[@Boo-qs5js]

言語とか思想とか反映されて、世界中で相互に影響を与え合ってる。 音楽って、本当に大きな一つの文化なんだ、、

[@xFliox]

That explosion of music after that 4:58 moment was ridiculously lit oh my goodness

[@eumedinna]

I wanna hear that full song O_O

[@flanflinflan]

I really need to know the name of the song

[@viscosity7893]

It's called "When My Mother Was There" from Persona 5. It's one of my favorites from the game.

[@JayAreAitch]

Christian Marin It literally says.

[@ainekoki]

Dat scream of the sax tho

[@Tichooon]

So Bartley is a jazz saxophonist, a smash fan and a weeb... Love him

[@Aksuloid]

Eastern european music Ievan Polka Literally the entirety of Finland: Oi, hold on a minute!

[@S3lvah]

Yep! It's Finnish music of an eastern European genre. After all, Finnish cultural heritage is a mixture of east and west. In the context of this video, it could just be that Ievan Polkka is a viral Finnish song that got picked up by Hatsune Miku because of its appealing melody and rhythm (from eastern music) and the gibberish lyrics that transcend language barriers.

[@Fillkarre]

@@S3lvah Most likely the melody and tune that combined with the Finnish language to create a special sort of rhytm. I'm swedish and the japanese used our language aswell in Carameldansen to make a J-Pop style song that went viral.

[@S3lvah]

@@Fillkarre Yeah, well, it's Finnish-sounding gibberish rather than actual Finnish, but I suppose it retains a lot of the rhythm that you mention, and I get what you mean.

[@Fillkarre]

@@S3lvah The gibberish is basically just nonsensical japanese phonetics sung in the rhytm of real finnish. Would've been cooler if they actually used real finnish though :/

[@villeluukkonen3735]

Indeed!

[@zuikakup]

日本人からすると日本の音楽が海外の人たちに聞いてもらえるなんてあんまり考えたことなかったんだけど、この動画で何が魅力的に見えているのか、理解できた気がします。Thank you!

[@FilmmakerJ]

I am so so glad he mentions Yuji Ohno, cause that man is still making music, and he's been composing for Lupin for 40+ years.

[@kaitotatsuya]

Yuji Ohno song with Sawashiro miyuki is Soo good.

[@Zton-yn4kc]

Lupin III vol.1 soundtrack is CLASSIC!!!

[@tylerhoop5312]

Lupin good period.

[@sukma6487]

@@kaitotatsuya is that the same person who voice sinon from sao ?

[@kaitotatsuya]

@@sukma6487 sorry i don't watch Sao

[@Cronquist]

The goosebumps hearing Neely paying Tank! My God. I can die happy now.

[@leocomerford]

Still waiting for "Cruel Angel's Thesis" ... ;)

[@led6960]

日本の曲のジャズアレンジめちゃくちゃカッコいい

[@douglaswitte8374]

Stumbled into Patrick and the J-Music Ensemble totally randomly at the Black Cat Cafe in lower east side Manhattan a couple months ago. They were covering music strictly from different Mario games. The energy in the room was so warm and infectious and the musicianship was amazing. Happy I stumbled into this video :)

[@Crovax]

You WILL become a man of culture as well Adam, there's no doubt.

[@EvanHarris456]

Cowboy Bebop at the beginning gets an immediate like from me lol

[@that44rdv4rk]

indeed.

[@natheniel]

@@that44rdv4rk AND the end

[@DoodlezMusic]

THE ENDING THOOOO

[@nlon10]

God damn, I knew the video was going to be good, but I didn't know that it was going to be "Adam Neely opening a video with Tank! of Cowboy Bebop" good

[@zakrilege3428]

I spend a lot of my life helplessly depressed and angry, feeling like perhaps humanity as a whole just sucks and life is kind of a waste. But then I see videos like these, and I just get filled with so much energy and passion and hope. People are cool, music is amazing, life is good. I wish I could hang out with someone like Patrick, I feel like I could learn so much

[@alessandrorumbo490]

I keep coming back to this video, it's sooo good. Minor correction though: Ievan Polka by Hatsune Miku does not "borrow" from east european music, it's a straight up cover of a song from finnish quartet Loituma. It was also coverd by Korpiklaani, making the three versions probably the holy trinity of covers

[@SpencerTwiddy]

Finland is in the eastern half of Europe. And covering a song from a region is literally borrowing their music….?

[@alessandrorumbo490]

@@SpencerTwiddy I’d argue that “borrowing from” would imply a lesser degree of “replication” and more of a reinterpretation, or some kind of musical citation. Or at least that’s what I think I was thinking at that moment. I do recognize that me from 3 years ago was having a typical “AKCHUALLY” moment with that message tho

[@SpencerTwiddy]

@@alessandrorumbo490 that's fair enough, and yeah it happens

[@zvukach]

Adam: *starts the video with an opening from "Cowboy Bebop"* Me: Here it comes

[@DBruce]

Wow. Loved the further connection on the language-music thesis, and the gig sounded totally my kind of thing. Thanks for the introduction to J-Pop.

[@citrusblast4372]

Listen to tabun kaze by sakanaction please haha

[@Suicidal_Muffin]

one of us, one of us, one of us

[@natheniel]

Never thought I would share this playlist but here it is: kzbin.info/aero/PLXSteZ0hwE--tCL1wRBD7HMNr2iRog1x0 Some of them are arrangements, some are original, all Japanese.

[@whitemint9027]

Damn, you`re so right! I want this study about my language now, but it`s too unpopular :D

[@whitemint9027]

@@natheniel I literally came in the comments to ask for some playlists because THIS IS AWESOME! Thank you! PS: Daumn, Baccano! Ur one intellectual!

[@Onidango-chan]

I’ve been so in-love with this genre of music because of the excitement that comes with the push and pull of the familiar and the foreign. J-pop has the ability to feel like home and yet take you in a whole new ride. This is found in the musicality of the musicians, the complexity of each of arrangement, and the depth of culture found in these songs. It’s just freaking dope. I’m so happy Adam shone some more light on this genre.

[@dvdsarescary]

I’ve been binge watching a ton of your videos and this is easily my favorite, by a mile. Great job.

[@AkmalHakeemHarris]

We DEFINITELY need a full video of you covering 'Tank' now.

[@ZeL19XX]

Oh god please!!

[@DasGanon]

Yeah I need that.

[@finnkenyon1289]

It is the single greatest song. Honestly, Tank is one of two songs I could put on repeat for an entire day, and not get tired of.

[@SyntheticFuture]

Yes!

[@racefrazier7998]

Might as well leave another comment agreeing to this. You hear Adam, full video of Tank!

[@illysigelman1264]

That gig was insanely good. I've never seen a show this level without a paid ticket

[@fleagalisyourdaddy]

You are a lucky one

[@culturecompass637]

The level of inspiration this video gives is unreal. Huge thanks to Adam, Pat and J-Music Ensemble for the music and this video. Keep up the great work!

[@yellowbones]

this remains of one of my most favorite videos of all time. The exposition and just outright highlighting of what music can truly do in this content is amazing

[@AlanKey86]

David Bruce Composer just uploaded a video. Adam Neely just uploaded a video. Instant paralysis.

[@obedpoto-poto5847]

AlanKey86 I don’t know Davie Bruce so pick Adam

[@AndyChamberlainMusic]

clearly you at least came here

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

@@AndyChamberlainMusic Hey, I'm subbed to you! Love your content, man!

[@AndyChamberlainMusic]

@@lifeontheledgerlines8394 thank you! :)

[@dallaradrums]

Patrick Bartley is badass!!! Such a nice dude. Saw him in San Francisco and most conversations revolved around playing Smash and getting Wynton to play Smash. At the end of the night the band and I went and played Smash.

[@helmiboboy]

Man, He's a great musician and gamer?! *I NEED TO FIND HIM AND SAY THANKS!*

[@thegeorgew1993]

This is absolutely one of my favourite videos on KZbin. It’s so wonderfully structured for the lesson it’s trying to impart: insight/theory followed by example. Insanely talented people doing what they love will always be scintillating to watch. Thank you, Adam x

[@niupe705]

i love how you and Matt are leaning and jumping almost always at the same time, plus the headstock camera makes it feel so good. great video by the way !

[@hironyx]

adam's bass camera + his tendency to "frown" his lips makes it look like elon musk was playing the bass lol

[@dangitdoodles]

*hironyx* 6:20 😉

[@lordofentropy]

Adam is always rocking the bass duck face :)

[@windmill7708]

its called a stank face

[@jeanarcouette2897]

that's called "stank face" it's for when you play a riff so dirty you can smell it

[@Greippi10]

You cannot, absolutely cannot, play a jazz or funk bass solo without strong facial expressions.

[@abacus4401]

Tank from cowboy bebop was the song that got me into jazz at the age of 12. I still feel goosebumps when i hear it.

[@TheBlueGoldenHawk]

Saaame, except I was like 19 or 20, introduced me to a whole new world of my favorite music: modern Japanese jazz

[@filipepinheiro8250]

I love these gig vlogs because it's just flooded with great music throughout

[@cicholasnage]

i absolutely love this guy, he just sounds so informative and he really understands music, and also its history. Learned so much in this video alone.

[@terminaldeity]

On this topic, Mondo Grosso comes to mind. Acid jazz definitely has a cultural foothold in Japan, I would argue more so than the U.S.

[@TheBlueGoldenHawk]

You can see that with Persona 5 having an acid jazz soundtrack, for example. And bands like Indigo Jam Unit and SOIL & "PIMP" SESSIONS

[@SiopaoSauc3]

Love Mondo Grosso, eventually led me to listening to Japanese city pop

[@thesomalistrawhat]

Bossa Nova as well.

[@KatBlaque]

My favorite kind of music honestly.

[@newkid9807]

I also like Detroit scam rap

[@shimashima_jimami]

Hello! I’m a Japanese perfume fun! I’m surprised he talked about “sweet donuts”!!! This song is very good, but it’s not famous because it has be released before they got hit songs. I feel he is a real fun😊 I’m happy to watch this video. Thank you❤

[@kawaiidoragonfandommedia]

American Jazz and R&B have been a part of Japan's musical foundation since possibly the mid - late 60s. All of City Pop is 70s and 80s R&B. I love the direction ani-song has taken in the last few years.

[@Viviantoga]

You're *damn* right ending that set on the epitome of Japanese jazz as recognized in America. Tank! is such a fun song. Now, imagine that the composer, Yoko Kanno, knew practically nothing about jazz before being hired for the show it's from. Now realize that's fact, and discover just how amazing all the music from Cowboy Bebop is. She's incredible.

[@brandonvu5429]

Do you have a source on that? I have a hard time believing she was a greenhorn to jazz

[@Viviantoga]

@@brandonvu5429 Went back to my primary source ( daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2014/11/yoko-kanno-interview ) to double check and I admit I was off by about a decade. I had misremembered her first major exposure to jazz as coming years after university graduation (which would have been when she was working on Macross Plus), rather than *during* her uni years. That whole interview is a wild ride into her mind. It's still pretty amazing that she barely had a good idea of drums and rhythm (her own admittance) until she was a full grown adult. You can even kind of feel how rudiment some of the rhythms are in the first Cowboy Bebop OST, like Too Good Too Bad, which is more like a march than big band swing. Or Piano Black, which has this very droning sense of syncopation, a clockwork waltz relentlessly pounding out those offbeat 3s. Not that it works against the feeling of jazzy grooves, but moreso a fascinating variance that works well with her strengths of melody and instrumentation.

[@Liggliluff]

A Jamaican blues band influenced by reggae, playing Japanese pop music influenced by American jazz. Maybe not everything is true in that sentence. But it does make it sound interesting.

[@jmclen7]

This video brings tears to my eyes. I love your channel. This is the answer to the question why music or why music education? Thank you for putting something good out into the world.

[@josiahscott3864]

As someone who is very interested in linguistics and music theory, and also listens to tons of j-pop/rock, jazz, and video game music, it feels like this video was made for me. Loved it, going to check out the rest of your channel now lol

[@--TOM--]

I just love how the guy at the keyboard is dancing

[@carterulery]

It helps to feel the music and to not look like you want to die if you stand still with a blank face lol

[@--TOM--]

@@carterulery yeah of course in this setting it's ok, but for more professional gigs you wouldn't want to be dancing

[@carterulery]

@@--TOM-- true, but in pro stuff you still should move a bit in a chair to show a bit of emotion in your playing

[@--TOM--]

@@carterulery sure

[@carterulery]

@@--TOM-- lol that's what i think is good anyways

[@NoahSkinner4]

9:11 proof that Adam can’t go a single video without the lick

[@hashiispep]

can't forget 4:35

[@gunnarray5978]

I need to meet this guy and give him a hug because I've been listening to J-Pop for 2 years now and I couldn't figure out why I loved it so much, and this man straight up described it perfectly

[@manningbartlett522]

I first discovered the (Perfume) song Polyrhythm back in 2011, and was amazed to hear a 5 against 4 polyrhythm in a pop song. This started my obsession with j-pop, and particularly bands like Gesu No Kiwami Otome who combine funk, jazz and pop (and sometimes rock and even punk) in a truly amazing way.

[@tfrascaroli]

I think he described J-pop music as best as it can be described: It's uplifting and melancholic, it's the sort of sensation you would feel when you're on top of a mountain after accomplishing such feat but you feel the wind and you remember someone that's no longer there, or that one place that you may never go back to. At least that's what it feels to me. GREAT video and performance.

[@tfrascaroli]

PS: I just finished watching and I have goosebumps all over my body! Especially the KH one.

[@Keima_Katsuragi.]

The feeling after achieving the top of the mountain is a bit quieter and more breathtaking, like the nature is

[@yandhi_6382]

Reminds me of the last day of school or graduation. That celebration of a journey and sadness it has ended

[@BigbangattackLp]

*Anime Profile-Pics Joined The Game*

[@kamui1847]

Anime profile pic #7567 reporting for duty sir!

[@CalamityInAction]

Kamui Stop! You have violated the law!

[@laboon344]

Hello ! 😆

[@MogreciousMalone]

Haha same......

[@gespenst0083]

Our cause is just.

[@jonathanfirth8046]

The title grasped my attention and I didn't really think I'd watch the whole thing. Great vid man! Opened my ears to something new :)

[@palmtree407]

keep this no-limit passion for music alive man, keeps me going everyday.

[@alanillan5575]

Damn Patrick seems to be the guy I wish I was. He knows his way around the ledger lines and is one of the rare kind of weeb that's actually cool.

[@MaxRollison]

Alan Illan “actually cool” true. All of the weebs that are in the next room from me right now just argue about who’s better at smash and which pokemon is better. They all love anime but I don’t see them putting one thought into anything other than the plot and characters

[@reyvelmarcello466]

@@MaxRollison yea dude,i hope weebs are more united without having to argue which is better

[@MaxRollison]

@@reyvelmarcello466 Sometimes it feels a little disrespectful because the University Center is a place where people can eat lunch and study with friends, so being loud is acceptable. I just believe that there is a limit to this loudness that can make it seem disrespectful, especially when it comes to vulgar language. I have many weeb friends that are super cool and not like this so I totally understand and respect where others would think differently. This is just a specific situation, but honestly, most people know how to be respectful in public. Respect to the people that have to put up with some negative stereotypes when they are actually amazing people. Also, I'm glad you agree! To me, smash is just about having fun with friends. Nothing too competitive.

[@srehh5529]

@@MaxRollison Wait what's wrong with anime fans who only pay attention to the plot and characters?

[@MaxRollison]

sre hh nothing

[@michaelaine14]

omg that guy is just word out my feelings on japanese music and he's true.. omg

[@Akaeronth]

I come to this video every once in a month just to listen to that sax phrase at 5:12 . It's SO GOOD on so many levels.

[@LunatiqueRob]

One of the best videos you've ever done. I highly recommend you do a video (or a series) on City Pop (a specific type of Japanese pop), as it's currently enjoying a revival right now, with many international fans having finally discovered this amazing genre (which is a mixture of jazz fusion, funk, soul, disco, rock, and synthpop).

[@JacksterDude12]

*Adam furiously bopping his head to tank* Careful man, you'll hurt a girl like that

[@t0bster592]

The realization that both the Kirby song and Levan Polka are minors but have an upbeat feeling blew me away.

[@NegoClau]

Tetris theme, too...

[@PaulPower4]

On the other end of the scale (hoho) I've always found humming the melody of Sonic 2's Casino Night (1P, not the 2P version showcased in the vid) to be very melanchonic even though it's in a major key and it sounds a lot more upbeat when the rhythm section is added.

[@jacobhqgaming6262]

does Motorbreath by Metallica count? (troll face)

[@rosyrosemusicbeats]

God that was everything, like literally everything was beautiful, you all are lucky to have been able to do such a thing in a nice beautiful place and I seriously did not know that Patrick did that much with his saxophone! As in already played with huge celebrities, he is truly an amazing person👏🏻👏🏻

[@Arcashine]

I saw the incredible cover the J-MUSIC band did on TANK! that's up on KZbin, and was like "man, I'd love Adam Neely's take on this." I only had to watch 3 or 4 more covers to find this video in my recommended list. The deep dive into the band you make here is fantastic, and you're also playing it! That's awesome. Patrick is a legend.