Angels Swing

Jazz & War History

I love American popular songs from the 1930s and the 1940s. My favorite musicians are Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Judy Garland, Connie Boswell, Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, and more Without even thinking about it, I started singing those America’s old-time popular songs at various dining facilities in New York where many senior citizens gather…

“Angels Swing” started in 1997, based on my desire to share America’s popular songs from the World War II era, with the people recalling those old days, and to tell them that their music is still loved even today beyond war and age. At that time, the angel of “Angels Swing” consisted of only one member, a little Asian girl who didn’t understand English so well.

American music, and many musicians who met the girl in New York, gave her a lot of dreams, miracles, warmth, and hope. Legendary musician Leonard Gaskin brought me a lot of graciousness and miracles to make my dream come true. Grady Tate taught me the wonders of the world of music, and life itself. Bob Cranshaw provided me with a lot of support and thoughtful words.

Thanks to them, I found myself in a situation where I work with many angels to make music. And eventually, the single-member Angel’s Swing turned into “Angels Swing”.

Angels Swing is a project planned as a token of my gratitude to the old American music that gave me so much joy, and also to the angels (musicians) who supported me warmly and swung with me.

"Angels Swing" means...

Angels Swing started in 1996, when I stood in front of my dream. Before it became “Angels Swing,” it was a completely solitary project. If you take the “s” out of “Swing,” it becomes “Angel’s Wing.” If you take the “w” out of “Swing,” it becomes “Angel’s Sing.”

But over the years, as I met legendary “Angels” like Leonard Gaskin, Grady Tate, and Bob Cranshaw, the project evolved into “Angels Swing”—meaning plural angels swinging together.

These angels have now passed away and are in heaven. Yet, I feel they are still swinging right here with me.