URB magazine wrote " the energy and speed in Ark's playing is mind blowing... rips through solos with a calculating precision and unprecedented command of Jazz harmony". LA Jazz Scene wrote "a marvelous, technically adept musician, who plays with a controlled fury". Ottawa Citizen said, "Ark Sano has dazzling technique and a special fluency on modal burners".
Renowned Jazz critic Leonard Feather of the Los Angeles Times praised Sano saying he "displayed a diversity of ideas that ranged from ingenious chording to rapid single note lines". The Sacramento Bee wrote "Sano, who on the boppish opener had shown a hard hitting attack, framed (ballads) along with tenderly wonderful chords and changes" and the Los Angeles Weekly wrote "Sano, uses his McCoy Tynerish chording and broad rippling sounds as the delivery system for the nerve-twisting harmonic structures".
At the age of 12 he started playing an organ that his parents bought him. This extraordinary talent was soon realized and he started with formal training. Within two years, having acquired the ability of transcribing and arranging the music from TV, radio. Etc, he decided to from a band. He began performing around his hometown, Gifu, Japan. By the age of 16, the music of the great masters such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin had caught his attention so he directed most of his time towards the piano, and left organ behind.
When he had graduated from high school, he continued to play at the better local clubs and restaurants. Ark was introduced to Jazz when one of the local musicians heard this gifted young pianist playing at a club, and enticed him into joining their band. It didn't take too long before Ark was totally fascinated by Jazz. Now, Ark decided to dedicate himself to Jazz music, so he continued listening to and studying the art.
Soon after he was performing with his own jazz band. His band quickly gained attention as a newcomer to the jazz scene. However, his passion and inspiration for the music, as well as his desire to become a better musician, led him from Gifu, a small town in Japan, to the U.S.A. to study at Berklee College of Music, which awarded him a scholarship.
While at Berklee, he was quite active, participating in ensemble audition teams and playing for Berklee project bands, while giving and performing numerous concerts and recitals. In 1989, he made the finals in The Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. In 1990 he graduated from Berklee College of Music, Summa Cum Laude, majoring in Jazz composition, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. While performing at local clubs and restaurants, he attended numerous jam sessions and met Black/Note, which he became a regular pianist of.
His enthusiasm for music keeps his schedule full. He is actively performing with his own trio and solo piano while writing and performing classical pieces and giving concerts. He is also composing/arranging for various chamber ensembles including Japan America Chamber Ensemble, for which he serves as a music director.
taken from his homepage:
http://home.att.net/~arksano/myhome/ind_e.html
Sober
Ark Sano Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shrouding every step I take,
Making every promise empty,
Pointing every finger at me.
Waiting like a stalking butler
Who upon the finger rests.
Murder now the path called "must we"
Just before the son has come.
Something but the past and done?
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over.
Why can't we drink forever.
I just want to start things over.
I am just a worthless liar.
I am just an imbecile.
I will only complicate you.
Trust in me and fall as well.
I will find a center in you.
I will chew it up and leave,
I will work to elevate you
Just enough to bring you down.
Trust me.
Mother Mary won't you whisper
Something but what's past and done.
Trust me.
I want what I want.
The lyrics of Ark Sano's song Sober are quite complex and difficult to interpret without understanding the context of the song. The lyrics represent a feeling of guilt, shame, and regret, as the singer describes the shadow behind him that shrouds every step he takes and makes every promise empty. The shadow is metaphorical for the burden of his own conscience and the self-destructive behaviors he engages in. The singer seems to be struggling with addiction and the consequences that come with it, as he asks Jesus to whistle something other than the past and done. The repetition of the line "Why can't we not be sober?" highlights the singer's desire to change and start over, but he struggles with it.
The singer's self-loathing is apparent in lines like "I am just a worthless liar/I am just an imbecile," which suggest that he feels unworthy of anyone's trust or love. The line "I will only complicate you/Trust in me and fall as well" suggests that the singer is aware of the damage he causes to others and is almost warning them to stay away from him. The line "I will find a center in you/I will chew it up and leave" reinforces the idea that the singer is using others to fill a void within himself but ends up hurting them in the process. The repetition of "Trust me" in the final stanza implies that the singer is begging for forgiveness and hoping that someone will believe in him despite his flaws.
Overall, Sober is a powerful song that explores the themes of addiction, guilt, and regret. The lyrics are raw and honest, and they invite listeners to reflect on their own struggles and flaws.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a shadow just behind me,
I am haunted by my past mistakes and poor decisions.
Shrouding every step I take,
My past mistakes are affecting my present decision making and actions.
Making every promise empty,
My past mistakes have made it difficult for others to trust me and believe my promises.
Pointing every finger at me.
Others blame me for their problems and shortcomings, and I am constantly being criticized and judged.
Waiting like a stalking butler
My past mistakes are lurking and waiting to bring me down, like a butler waiting to serve his master's downfall.
Who upon the finger rests.
My past mistakes are like a weight on my shoulders, preventing me from moving forward.
Murder now the path called "must we"
I am contemplating making a choice that goes against what is expected or necessary, but may bring about change.
Just before the son has come.
I must make this choice before it's too late, while I still have time to create a new future for myself.
Jesus, won't you fucking whistle
I am pleading for a sign or guidance towards the right path, other than my own thoughts and instincts.
Something but the past and done?
I am desperate for a sign or guidance that leads to a future beyond my past mistakes.
Why can't we not be sober?
Why can't we let go of our vices and distractions, and face reality with a clear mind?
I just want to start this over.
I wish for a new beginning, a clean slate to start over without the burdens of my past.
Why can't we drink forever.
Why do we choose to numb our pain instead of confronting it, and ultimately extending our suffering?
I just want to start things over.
I desire a new beginning, a fresh start to take the right path forward without the weight of my past.
I am just a worthless liar.
I am plagued by self-doubt and guilt, as I perceive myself to be untrustworthy and deceitful.
I am just an imbecile.
I am experiencing feelings of inadequacy and self-deprecation, perceiving myself as unintelligent and incompetent.
I will only complicate you.
I am aware of my tendency to cause only more confusion and difficulty for those around me.
Trust in me and fall as well.
I acknowledge the danger of trusting me to lead, as I too am lost and struggling to find direction.
I will find a center in you.
I am searching for guidance and stability, and I look towards others to provide it for me.
I will chew it up and leave,
Once I have found stability or guidance, I may end up inadvertently destroying and leaving it behind.
I will work to elevate you,
I will do what I can to improve your situation and lift you up from your struggles.
Just enough to bring you down.
However, my own unresolved issues may cause me to unintentionally trigger a downfall or regression for those I try to help.
Trust me.
Despite my flaws and mistakes, I am still pleading for others to trust me and follow my lead.
Mother Mary won't you whisper
I am searching for a sign or guidance from a higher power or spiritual figure, to lead me towards a better path.
Something but what's past and done.
I seek a sign or guidance that leads me towards the future and the potential for change, rather than dwelling on past mistakes.
Trust me.
I continue to ask for others to trust me, despite recognizing my own doubts and shortcomings.
I want what I want.
Despite the recognition of my own issues, I am still motivated by my own desires and goals, both selfless and selfish.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EMILY WARREN, MICHAEL KEENAN, NICOLET HEATON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James Forston
Ark Sano is an Amazing Pianist. Check out his playing with the group Black Note. He played some amazing solos live with that band!!!
Unči Muppet
Brutal!!!