More than two decades ago, Terumasa Hino sensed that his home town, metropolitan Tokyo, had little to offer his jazz speciality. So he holed up in Numazu, near Yokohama, and soaked in the Pacific Ocean waves and breezes.
For two years, he 'jammed' with birds and the sea. 'I was frustrated living in Tokyo and wanted to get out of the city life. I wanted to feel that I was part of nature,' the 53-year-old trumpeter recalled.
'After living in Numazu for two years, I decided to leave Japan altogether and move to New York to let my musicality grow.' In New York he found himself playing with jazz greats Gil Evans and Jackie McLean.
'I was very lucky to be offered jobs to play with them. From them, I learned to relax. American musicians can loosen up and have fun very easily.' Hino, who summoned up seven top Asian jazz musicians to form the Asian Special Band a year ago, was the first Japanese artist to sign up for the US-based Blue Note label, famous for the gifted jazz musicians under its belt.
Born to a jazz trumpeter father, Hino picked up the instrument at the tender age of nine. One of his ancestors had entertained the Japanese army as a trumpeter.
'I do believe there is some kind of jazz blood running in my family,' he said. 'But that is no big deal. All I know is that I love playing the trumpet and I never get tired of being with it. I enjoy discovering new things with it.' Hino's brother, Motohiki, a fine jazz drummer in his own right, is the core member of the Asian Special Band.