2020 (2021, Hiroshima Records)

Track List:
1. Someday Soon+
2. Sacrifices
3. Always Tomorrow
4. Brighter Days
5. Side Street+
6. Groove Latino+
7. His Gentle Heart+
8. Trilogy

* = Vocal Track
+ = Personal Favorite

Notes:

• The album is all instrumental.
• This album is considered the band's "40th touring anniversary" album; the 2022 tour (postponed from 2020) supports the release.
• The name "2020" comes from the fact that (1) they have been touring for 40+ years (1979-2019), (2) the "hindsight is 20/20" cliché, referring to the band looking-back at their many years together.
• The album was released on 2021-09-13, a year later than planned (due to Covid-19). Tracks #1 (Someday Soon) and #6 (Groove Latino) were released as singles (and had air play) prior to the album's release.
• This is the first album that Danny Yamamoto did not play drum set. In 2019, after a personal tragedy, he went on a personal "self-discovery" mission. After being asked by the band to try something new, he shifted to Taiko [太鼓] and other percussion, while long-time guest artist Land Richards became the new (permanent) set drummer.
• While the band essentially "came out of retirement" to produce this album, band leader Dan Kuramoto stated in an interview (with radio jazz D.J. Pat Prescott) that the band will stop touring when they feel "it's time." Additionally, they have no plans for a "farewell tour" when that decision is made; Dan indicated that it was too … cliché (my word).
• This will likely be the band's last album. On 2023-02-24, I noted a blog entry from June stating: as her Koto is now nearly fifty years old (and she's been playing Koto for a total of SEVENTY years), it's time to retire (both the Koto and herself), to rest, and heal.

  ☹