The fourth song on this disc is called ‘Atomic Café’ and well that is what it is, an atomic café. Hiroshima over the past 25 years have put together album and after album each one getting better and better and this one is the ‘showstopper’.
There is a lot of multiculturalism in this album with African rhythms especially on the track ‘Mr. Robben'--a tribute to Nelson Mandela. Another song lays tribute to one Pharaoh Sanders titled ‘Pharaoh’ which some may have been done before but this re-introduces us to Sanders through their eyes. The last track ‘Heritage’ is a moving tribute to ancestors featuring June Kuramoto, Dan Kuramoto and Kimo Cornwell. DJ T-Rock the scratching introduction on ‘Atomic Café’. This provides leads us into some funk with a little bit of dare I say hip-hop thrown in as well, trombone by Ira Nepus. A well placed and timed gong opens the album on a song called ‘Swiss Ming’. Dan Kuramoto plays the tenor sax and this song is a great song to start an album off, it holds your attention. ‘Lighthouse’ is another tribute song on this album. It pays tribute to the Lighthouse, in Hermosa Beach, California which is considered a jazz landmark to this day.
Formed in 1974 by June and Dan Kuramoto, Hiroshima is widely known as a jazz group but through time they have used may different influences and added many different styles and genres to their sound bringing R&B, pop and a touch of soul. In 1985 they released which would be their first gold record Another Place with the hit single One Wish. In 1987 they followed up Another Place with Go which stayed on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart for three months and won them a Soul Train Award for Best Jazz Album of 1987. This is their third album for the Heads Up label and to be honest I do not know how they are going to top this one.... .It is just that damn good for more than ‘One Thursday Morning’.
