Four years after retiring in 2001, the double bassist Gary Karr, accompanied by Harmon Lewis, added a farewell recital in Yokohama.

Many years earlier they had been invited to the Japanese imperial palace for tea with the then Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko. Knowing that the empress was a fine pianist, Gary took his bass and invited her to perform some Japanese songs with him. She was delighted, and it became a regular occurrence.