Preston Reed performing "Shinkansen" at Quay Arts, Isle of Wight, 2010. Film by Rodney Hearth.

“Shinkansen” has been a staple in my live repertoire since the late 1990’s. Its high-energy, hard-driving groove made me think of the bullet trains I rode on when I first toured Japan in 1996. Since the tune begins with repeating pattern of hammered notes that I was able to play without looking — an impossibility most of the time when playing in this style — I seized the opportunity to appreciate the multi-tasking skills of many jazz lounge piano players. Filmed in 1990 at the Quay Arts Centre, Newport, Isle of Wight, England by Rodney Hearth.