Photo: Kristin Cofer

There’s an exciting new release from American Dreams just around the corner. Come October 29th, Japanese American saxophonist and composer Patrick Shiroishi will release a new solo album titled Hidemi. In his previous record, Shiroishi explored themes of everyday life in Japanese-American concentration camps. “The concentration camps that Japanese Americans had to go through has been a major part of my work for the last couple of years,” he remarks. Named after his grandfather, Hidemi Pat Shiroishi, Hidemi is dedicated to him and focus on his personal experience after getting out of Japanese-American concentration camps.

A multilayered woodwind effort, Hidemi was written and performed in its entirety by Shiroishi, who recorded it mostly recorded in one take. The album, describes the press release, “brings the listener through tension and release, showcasing something unfiltered, beautiful, and ultimately hopeful, a testament to perseverance and grace.”

The compelling ‘Tule Lake Like Yesterday’ is the first single to emerge from the upcoming record. Speaking about it, Shiroishi comments:

“When I hear the phrase ‘I remember it like yesterday,’ I think of some sort of positive celebration or great time with friends/family. However, in this instance, it is through an opposite angle; a life changing event filled with uncertainty, chaos and hope slipping away. After my grandparents were imprisoned at Tule Lake and released four years later, that time stuck with them for the rest of their lives…even when i asked my grandmother to tell me about the time spent there when i was 16, 57 years after she was released, her affect totally changed as she shook her head and left it at that.”

Listen to ‘Tule Lake Like Yesterday’ below.