Drop-in Session with the Minidoka Swing Band

On our latest drop-in session, we got to know three members of the Minidoka Swing Band: band leader and clarinet/alto sax player Larry Nobori, vocalist Nola Sugai Bogle, and guitarist Doug Katagiri. Together – along with the rest of the ensemble which consists of 17 musicians and 2 vocalists – they actively remember and honor the Japanese Americans who were interned during WWII.

Larry and Nola were among those interned as young children; and Doug had close family members who were also interned. In the interview, we dove deeper into their personal histories, the song choices and arrangements in their repertoire, and what being a part of this ensemble means to them as a whole.

The band provided three tunes to play: “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”(orig. Cole Porter), “Tokyo Boogie Woogie/Nihonmachi” (composed by Ryōichi Hattori, poem by Lawson Inada) and “Tuxedo Junction” (orig. Erskine Hawkins).

Listen to the full session below and when you’re finished, buy your copy of their album,”Nihonmachi” available on CD right here.