Seigen Ono Ensemble - Montreux 93/94 (1994)

For the last ten years, the Montreux Jazz Festival has continued with the 'Never Ending Night' on the final day. Seigen Ono came to Montreux for the first time on July 17, 1993. He stepped off the stage at Miles Davis Hall at 6:00 in the morning, closing (of the year). The Seigen Ono Ensemble wowed the whole audience with its amazing multinational musicians, fresh arrangements, diverse rhythms and original sounds. When his show ended, the window curtains were opened and the audience watched the sunrise over Lake Geneva. It was a magical moment. For the first time in 27 festivals, I invited an artist on the spot (after the show was over) to the big stage at Stravinsky Hall the following year. And all was well, and on the night of July 11th this year, Seigen Ono and his multinational band took to the stage. Lalo Schifrin (argentinian composer famous for the theme of Operation Espionage, etc.) and the Munich Symphony Orchestra, Grady Tate, Ray Brown, Slide Hampton, Paquito de Rivera, John Fadis. It was later. That year, he built a full-sized Brazilian café on stage, where two women began making a Brazilian national drink called 'Caipirinha' when the performance began. It was first of all the musicians, and the enthusiasm was evident, and then some of the audience were served, some of whom were invited to join the dance on stage. After two caipirinhas and an hour of his music, I found myself dancing tango on stage with a Brazilian lady. The charm of Seigen Ono's music cannot be expressed in words. It can only be touched by "listening". The original feel, the magical atmosphere, the delicate melodies, the quality of the musicians, all of this project, gently directed by Seigen Ono, made for a night to remember.