VERY early news of the live concert performance in Kalamazoo, Michigan Author: Ed Godziszewski Official Site: Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Special Thanks to Kazuo Sumiya Mark your calendars now. It may be a year away, but Akira Ifukube fans will have the rare chance of listening to one of the maestro`s premier classical pieces, "Ritmica Ostinata", performed live by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra on March 28, 2008 and featuring the keyboard skills of Reiko Yamada. Presented as part of a musical tribute to Japan, Ifukube`s piece will highlight a program which will also feature pieces by Toru Takemitsu and Paul Hindemith. Reiko Yamada is currently the principal keyboard artist for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, having visited Japan most recently in 2006 for performing the "Ritmica Ostinata", a very demanding piece for any keyboard

Read more ...

The Long Delayed CD Box Set to be Released at Last Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis with Robert Saint John Source: Ark Soundtrack Square, Masao Iwase Blog Special Thanks to Keith Aiken, Ed Godziszewski, and Larry Tuczynski’s Godzilla Monster Music Website Back in 2004, amidst the hysteria that was Godzilla’s 50th Anniversary, it was announced that Toho Music would re-release the Godzilla soundtrack series in six special edition boxes loaded with extras such as alternate cues, dialog from the movies, and several bonus discs. The first of these GODZILLA SOUNDTRACK PERFECT COLLECTIONs hit the streets in October that year and the second set followed in December. Strangely, there was quite a delay on the third set as it did not see release until April of 2005. Little did collectors know that the delay of the third box would be nothing compared to the wait

Read more ...

La-La Land Records Hits Another One Out of the Park Author: John "Dutch" DeSentis Following up their incredible release of the musical score to GODZILLA in 2004, La-La Land Records has made available for the first time ever in North America the soundtrack to 1962`s KING KONG VS GODZILLA. As most of Akira Ifukube’s score was replaced with stock library music for the film’s 1963 American release, this CD is truly a first. Just like the former release, this disc is a grand slam, perhaps even more so than the first one. To me, KING KONG VS GODZILLA represents the pinnacle era of not only Toho, but also Akira Ifukube`s magnificent scores. Between 1954 and 1964, the maestro produced what could arguably be his best scores to both Godzilla and non-Godzilla films alike. KING KONG VS GODZILLA is a non-stop tour de force of great thematic material,

Read more ...