Densho Digital Archive - Yo Shibuya Interview (denshovh-syo-01-0012)

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RP: So what was the, what was it like going from playing in Manzanar for a band like the Jive Bombers to playing with these, these I guess --

YS: For money?

RP: -- more professional bands. Other than the money, was it a step up for you musically as well?

YS: Yeah, at first, well it was, some of the arrangements I never did see. So at first it was a real challenge. And, and the tempos were altogether different. They were playing faster and boy you had to read it faster, you had to read the music fast. But then after a while you got used to it and then of course you get used to reading this type of music. But you learn.

RP: So let's talk a little bit more about this band that you toured with. Herbie Hunt?

YS: Yeah, Herbie Hunt.

RP: And, it was a basic swing band?

YS: Yeah, swing band.

RP: But you... tell us about traveling from one town to another. How did you get around?

YS: Yeah, it was a bus, it was a travelin' bus, you know, where they had bunks in it and then you had a place to store all your instrument. And like you did one-nighters. You went from one town to the next. And soon as you got through with the gig... well we had a guy that would book us. So in other words we, we didn't get paid right after the gig 'cause the agent had already arranged for the money and all that. So what we'd do, we'd load the, load the, load the bus up and take off to the next gig. And we'd, we'd get to the next gig and we'd always, we'd find a swimming pool in the, in that town so we can go swim and take our baths. [Laughs] Yeah, that was, that was it. And then of course we had a change of clothes with us on the bus. And then of course, yeah, we wore, wore tuxes. We had a paper dickey. Do you remember those things? They'd get dirty on one side, we'd flip 'em over and wore them the other way and then throw 'em away.

RP: So how long did you tour with this band, Yo?

YS: Oh, about a year.

RP: So did it kind of get to be a grind after a little while?

YS: After a while it does, yeah. Yeah it does get, yeah, it gets to be a grind.

RP: You did a little bus driving too didn't you?

YS: Yeah I drove it. Yeah, because they would either pay you a nickel a mile or whatever it was. So, it was extra money. Yeah, we'd go, we'd go from maybe one town to then maybe a couple hundred miles or whatever. And the guys would say, "Who, who wants to drive?" And it was up to you. If you didn't feel like driving, some other guy would drive it.

RP: Were these mostly dance concerts?

YS: Yeah, they were regular dances.

RP: And some of these, I imagine, some of these towns were really starved for some type of music or culture and...

YS: Yeah, yeah. Boy, I tell you, some of those places you get, try to tune up to the piano, the piano's half a step off. So we can't, we can't get tuned to the piano. So the piano man would have to play in another key, you know, take it up another key up in order to play with us. And so... it wasn't like you had your own keyboard. Nowadays you're always in tune, right? Or pretty close to it anyway. 'Cause you... but back then when you went into a hall you were using their piano. And you don't know when the last time that thing was tuned.