HANK SASAKI
Coming Home
Three Weeks To Go – Working Man – Just One
Time – Somewhere Between – Forgiving You Was Easy – For Your Love – A
Mother Pays – Will The Circle Be Unbroken – Here Come The Tears – You
Win Again – Come On Home
Time – Somewhere Between – Forgiving You Was Easy – For Your Love – A
Mother Pays – Will The Circle Be Unbroken – Here Come The Tears – You
Win Again – Come On Home
Every time I sit down to listen to a new country CD these
days, I’m eternally surprised at the incredible talent in America that
the general population does not have the opportunity to hear. Hank
Sasaki is from Japan. That alone is saying something, but Hank Sasaki
is a country singer in the American style, from Japan. He was born and
raised in a small village on Kyushu Island in southern Japan. When he
was 15 he heard a Hank Williams’ song on the radio. That voice and the
feeling the song conveyed not only touched Hank’s heart, it changed the
course of his life. His ambition was to be come a country singer. This
story is a familiar one, but to follow his dream in Japan took a real
pioneer spirit. He wrote the first song on this CD, “Three Weeks To
Go,” which is an astonishing rendition of what country music has always
been, all around the world. So different from the songs we hear on
radio these days, this is a ‘story’ song, a form of music and a genre of
music nearly suffocated by today’s top-40 artists and companies that
promote them. Country music has always been identifiable by the singer
who is performing. That too has nearly disappeared in today’s top-40
line up, difficult for the most observant listener to tell apart, or at
best, identify the singer. In the past it was easy to guess who was
singing on the first note. Why was that? Hank Williams, Johnny Cash,
Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, need I say more. Many more
there are, the entire ‘base’ of country music was built on being able to
‘identify’ the artist singing. I must say I have never been so
surprised to hear one of those voices emerging, from Japan of all
places. Hank Sasaki has his own way of singing (magnificently I might
add) with identifiable characteristics so missing from today’s music. I
immediately sent this CD to some of our Rural Roots Music Commission
members, and those that heard it immediately agreed, the “Story Song CD
of the Year” was Mr. Sasaki’s. This has happened rather rapidly, so I’m
very happy to announce that even though he is on tour in Japan in
August, Hank Sasaki will be at LeMars on Aug 29-30. Please watch for
him on the main stage, you will be amply impressed. The ability to
write a good ‘story’ song has almost disappeared from country music
today, but Hank Sasaki is here to tell us all that it’s not gone yet.
Take a listen and see for yourself. The only other songwriter close to
Mr. Sasaki is Larry Cordle, who will be with him on Saturday. Larry
wrote “Murder on Music Row,” and our own Terry Smith will be on with Mr.
Sasaki. Whew! How about Hugh Moffatt “Old Flames Can’t Hold A
Candle….” Right on boys, not one of today’s country songs can hold a
candle to what Mr. Sasaki is producing, and you too!
days, I’m eternally surprised at the incredible talent in America that
the general population does not have the opportunity to hear. Hank
Sasaki is from Japan. That alone is saying something, but Hank Sasaki
is a country singer in the American style, from Japan. He was born and
raised in a small village on Kyushu Island in southern Japan. When he
was 15 he heard a Hank Williams’ song on the radio. That voice and the
feeling the song conveyed not only touched Hank’s heart, it changed the
course of his life. His ambition was to be come a country singer. This
story is a familiar one, but to follow his dream in Japan took a real
pioneer spirit. He wrote the first song on this CD, “Three Weeks To
Go,” which is an astonishing rendition of what country music has always
been, all around the world. So different from the songs we hear on
radio these days, this is a ‘story’ song, a form of music and a genre of
music nearly suffocated by today’s top-40 artists and companies that
promote them. Country music has always been identifiable by the singer
who is performing. That too has nearly disappeared in today’s top-40
line up, difficult for the most observant listener to tell apart, or at
best, identify the singer. In the past it was easy to guess who was
singing on the first note. Why was that? Hank Williams, Johnny Cash,
Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Willie Nelson, need I say more. Many more
there are, the entire ‘base’ of country music was built on being able to
‘identify’ the artist singing. I must say I have never been so
surprised to hear one of those voices emerging, from Japan of all
places. Hank Sasaki has his own way of singing (magnificently I might
add) with identifiable characteristics so missing from today’s music. I
immediately sent this CD to some of our Rural Roots Music Commission
members, and those that heard it immediately agreed, the “Story Song CD
of the Year” was Mr. Sasaki’s. This has happened rather rapidly, so I’m
very happy to announce that even though he is on tour in Japan in
August, Hank Sasaki will be at LeMars on Aug 29-30. Please watch for
him on the main stage, you will be amply impressed. The ability to
write a good ‘story’ song has almost disappeared from country music
today, but Hank Sasaki is here to tell us all that it’s not gone yet.
Take a listen and see for yourself. The only other songwriter close to
Mr. Sasaki is Larry Cordle, who will be with him on Saturday. Larry
wrote “Murder on Music Row,” and our own Terry Smith will be on with Mr.
Sasaki. Whew! How about Hugh Moffatt “Old Flames Can’t Hold A
Candle….” Right on boys, not one of today’s country songs can hold a
candle to what Mr. Sasaki is producing, and you too!
Hank Sasaki, 208 Cumberland Hills Dr., Madison, TN 37115 – hakimusicd@aol.com
REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART, NTCMA – www.ntcma.net
for Country Music News International Magazine