Yuichiro Tokuda
"the cutting edge of the present progressive form of jazz" in Jazz Life magazine.
About Me
Yuichiro Tokuda - Sax / Vocal & Composition
BAND: Yuichiro Tokuda RALYZZDIG
After studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston,
He returned to Japan and formed his band “Yuichiro Tokuda RALYZZDIG”,
and released his first album which was acclaimed as
”the cutting edge of the present progressive form of jazz” in Jazz Life magazine.
In 2008, He received an award as the “New Face of the Year in Art & Culture”
from the Chiba-City Government, the first time ever for a jazz artist.
Every year he performs at many festivals in all over the world.
From 2011 to present, He & his band has more than 50 stages experience in all over the world.
His original songs received “Finalist” & “Honorable Mention Award” in International Songwriting
Competition 2010, 2012 & 2013 Jazz Category.
”Finalist Award” in The U.S.A Songwriting Competition 2020 Jazz Category.
“RALYZZDIG” is mixed original word of “RAY, LYRIC, JAZZ and DIG”
It means “to dig into Jazz that sends out hot ray and touches the heart with lyrics”.
Yuichiro Tokuda RALYZZDIG are...
Yuichiro Tokuda : Alto/Sopranino Sax, Vocal, Composition
Naoto Suzuki : Guitar
Shunichi Yanagi : Piano
Noriaki Hosoya : Bass
Yuto Maseki : Drums
MV:
https://youtu.be/_7tj4jLAPU4
https://youtu.be/9aKselVuN2I
https://youtu.be/KV-lbQBHdUQ
LIVE VIDEOS from International Jazz Festival:
https://youtu.be/qPEqwPjgmAo
https://youtu.be/3jIlWmJ3htY
https://youtu.be/WCBwu5LvleA
OVERSEAS TOUR EXPERIENCE
2011 May, BORNEO JAZZ FESTIVAL,Miri, Malaysia
2011 Oct, NANJING INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Nanjing, China
2012 Mar, CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK _ WINTER JAZZ FESTIVAL, Toronto, Canada
2013 Feb, INDIA TOUR with Dhruv Ghanekar/Sheldon D'Silva/Gino Banks, India
2013 Mar, CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK _ WINTER JAZZ FESTIVAL, Toronto, Canada
2013 Apr, MANGO JAZZ NIGHT, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
2013 May, WORLD YOUTH JAZZ FESTIVAL, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2013 May, INDIAN JAZZ CLUB TOUR, Mumbai & Bangalore, India
2014 May, AMMAN JAZZ FESTIVAL, Jordan
2014 Aug, CHINA TOUR as a representative of Yokohama Jazz Promenade Festival
2014 Oct, JARASUM INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Korea
2015 Apr, EUROPEAN JAZZ TOUR with Joris Posthumus Quartet , Netherlands & Belgium
2015 June & July, FLAMENCO JAZZ TOUR with Ricardo Garcia Flamenco Guitar, France
2015 Sep, INDIA TOUR with Aman Mahajan Group, India
2016 Feb, INDIA TOUR with Aman Mahajan Group, India
2016 May, WORLD YOUTH JAZZ FESTIVAL, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2016 May, BORNEO JAZZ FESTIVAL,Miri, Malaysia
2016 August, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scottland UK
2016 August, BANSKO INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Bulgaria
2016 August, NISVILLE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Serbia
2016 November, GOA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, India
2016 November, KOLKATA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, India
2016 November, PUNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, India
2017 April, Joris Posthumus’s Tokyo’s Bad Boys Tour in EU, Belgium & Netherlands
2017 July, North Sea Jazz Festival, Netherlands
2017 August, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scottland UK
2018 April, Collaboration Concert with Great “Rosario Giuliani” & Legendary “Joe LaBarbera” in Japan
2019 May, WORLD YOUTH JAZZ FESTIVAL, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2020 Feb, All Angels Music Festival, Hawaii USA
2020 June, Sile International Jazz Festival, Italia
2020 Oct, Cairo International Jazz Festival, Egypt
ARTICLES
http://www.thescenemagazine.ca/cmw-2013-live-review-yuichiro-tokudas-ralyzzdig/
https://www.pri.org/stories/2011-06-15/japanese-jazz-artist-yuichiro-tokuda
http://www.neomagazine.com/2012_01_january/78.html
http://www.public-republic.net/nr-artist-of-the-week-ralyzz-dig/
ACTIVITY/AWARDS
”The story of Japanese Jazz artist Yuichiro Tokuda” aired on BBC Radio America 2011/6/15.
Jun 2011: “FINALIST & Honorable Mention Award” in International Songwriting Competition 2010 Jazz
Category.
Sep 2011: “FINALIST Award” in the UK Songwriting Contest 2011 Jazz & Blues Category.
Dec 2011: “FINALIST Award” in the USA Songwriting Competition 2011 Jazz Category.
Dec 2012: “FINALIST Award” in the UK Songwriting Contest 2012Jazz & Blues Category.
May 2013 : “FINALIST & Honorable Mention Award” in International Songwriting Competition 2012 Jazz
Category.
May 2014 : “FINALIST & Honorable Mention Award” in International Songwriting Competition 2013 Jazz
Category.
Mar 2015 : Composed music for Japan’s Major TV station BS-TBS established anniversary special program.
2016 : Casting as a saxophonist in Warner Brothers Movie.
2017 : Composed whole music for Japanese the forefront of Konicaminolta’s planetarium
2019 : Composed whole music for Sega Toys’s home planetarium project
Dec 2020: “FINALIST Award” in the USA Songwriting Competition 2020 Jazz Category.
ALBUM REVIEW
Initial Impluse (GNPR-1139/2007 release)
”The cutting edge of the present progressive form of Jazz” _Jazz Life Magazine (2007 Japan)
”The perfect blend of jazz fused with rock styles makes for truly the most appealing cross-genre grooving
music. You might be wondering why we would feature him here…. Well, because his music is AMAZING.
Open your ears and your mind and listen to any one of his songs.” _NEO Magazine (2012 New York)
Imagination Live @ Shinjuku PIT-INN (GNPR-1141/2010 release)
”Masterpiece”, throughout the album, that’s it!!” _CD Journal Magazine (2010 Japan)
”70 minutes powerful album!!” full of the enthusiasm and very unique tone and play style.”
_Jazz Life Magazine (2010 Japan)
Imagination (GNPR-1142/2010 release)
”Imagination” is enormously impressive and definitely as excellent work as I assure it is ahead of a couple
generations.” _CD Journal Magazine (2010 Japan)
Crossing Colors (GNPR-1145/2013 release)
”Unmistakably their play is careening to the future while digging today's jazz space.”
_Jazz JAPAN Magazine (2013 Japan)
”There is no band to play a comprehensive Jazz like them anywhere in the world so far. Masterpiece.”
_CD Journal Magazine (2013 Japan)
”The new standard! The sound which is roused from races and bloods. Definitely the best masterpiece.”
_Jazz Life Magazine (2013 Japan)
”Yuichiro Tokuda who continues the music which he believes on the world stage has an infinite possibility. “
_Jazz JAPAN Magazine (2013 Japan)
WIND (GNPR-1152/2018 release)
”It rocks my heart like a wind of one. It is neither gusts nor breeze. It is comfortable, but it is not just that, it
has strength. This balance is exquisite. From Normandy to the universe, this wind keeps blowing
everywhere.” _Jazz JAPAN Magazine (2018 Japan)
”Contemporary jazz with its overwhelming energy and rich lyricism will not leave my ear once I hear it ...
The real “sound” in the music is because what he learned in real experience will be reflected. He is a
minstrel who travels the world and is a realist.” _Jazz JAPAN Magazine (2018 Japan)
”In addition to the conventional jumping drive feeling, he will also show landscape observations in foreign
countries, ethnicism which can tighten our hearts, hand clapping used for flamenco, and his sweet vocals.
Looking for new grounds, keeping the spirit of nature but powerfulness, you can see the holding as a band
that has always challenged growth and change. “ _Tower Records Magazine/intoxicate (2018 Japan)
God dwells in everything (GNPR-1164/2020 release)
”Yuichiro Tokuda and his band RALYZZDIG, they took a close look ahead at the current crisis and the
world after that, and created a magnificent lyric poem that could be called a guidepost. An unprecedented
work brought about by under the COVID-19. I would like to recommend to everyone who is losing power
and hope.” _Jazz JAPAN Magazine (2020 Japan)
”I think Tokuda was also aware of it, but I remembered Coltrane's “A Love Supreme.” Anyway, it is a
complete album with a magnificent view of music and performance. Yuichiro Tokuda, a saxophonist born in
1981, is one of the most creative musicians today.” _Jazz JAPAN Magazine (2020 Japan)
”I admire the spiritual strength and creativity that make up such a masterpiece. A satisfying work that
Tokuda dedicated with all his heart and mind and strength.” _Jazz JAPAN Magazine (2020 Japan)
”A masterpiece that depicts 2020 with music. Full of performances that show the high level of performance
of the band and the strength of cohesion.” _Jazz Life Magazine (2020 Japan)
From the International Jazz Festival REVIEW
”This is the dream team back up band for any producer or engineer.”
_Canadian Music Week (2013 Toronto)
”Any modern Jazz fan who missed this band missed the best performance of the festival.”
From CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK 2013(CMW) official web magazine “The Scene Magazine”
Yuichiro Tokuda RALYZZDIG was awarded CMW 2013 No.1 Best Performance Point “9.8” from more
than 1000 bands. _Canadian Music Week (2013 Toronto)
DISCOGRAPHY
”Zero to 0” 2005
”Initial Impulse” 2007
”Urban Lights / Umi Toki Kaze Iro” 2007
”Imagination LIVE @ Shinjuku PIT-INN” 2010
”Imagination” 2010
”LIVE @ Akasaka B-flat” 2012
”Crossing Colors” 2013
”WIND” 2018
”God dwells in everything” 2020
My Jazz Story
My goal is take my band/music to all over the world more & more. Japanese Jazz, Form Japan to the world.
My House Concert Story
OVERSEAS TOUR EXPERIENCE 2011 May, BORNEO JAZZ FESTIVAL,Miri, Malaysia 2011 Oct, NANJING INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Nanjing, China 2012 Mar, CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK _ WINTER JAZZ FESTIVAL, Toronto, Canada 2013 Feb, INDIA TOUR with Dhruv Ghanekar/Sheldon D'Silva/Gino Banks, India 2013 Mar, CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK _ WINTER JAZZ FESTIVAL, Toronto, Canada 2013 Apr, MANGO JAZZ NIGHT, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia 2013 May, WORLD YOUTH JAZZ FESTIVAL, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2013 May, INDIAN JAZZ CLUB TOUR, Mumbai & Bangalore, India 2014 May, AMMAN JAZZ FESTIVAL, Jordan 2014 Aug, CHINA TOUR as a representative of Yokohama Jazz Promenade Festival 2014 Oct, JARASUM INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Korea 2015 Apr, EUROPEAN JAZZ TOUR with Joris Posthumus Quartet , Netherlands & Belgium 2015 June & July, FLAMENCO JAZZ TOUR with Ricardo Garcia Flamenco Guitar, France 2015 Sep, INDIA TOUR with Aman Mahajan Group, India 2016 Feb, INDIA TOUR with Aman Mahajan Group, India 2016 May, WORLD YOUTH JAZZ FESTIVAL, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2016 May, BORNEO JAZZ FESTIVAL,Miri, Malaysia 2016 August, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scottland UK 2016 August, BANSKO INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Bulgaria 2016 August, NISVILLE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, Serbia 2016 November, GOA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, India 2016 November, KOLKATA INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, India 2016 November, PUNE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, India 2017 April, Joris Posthumus’s Tokyo’s Bad Boys Tour in EU, Belgium & Netherlands 2017 July, North Sea Jazz Festival, Netherlands 2017 August, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Scottland UK 2018 April, Collaboration Concert with Great “Rosario Giuliani” & Legendary “Joe LaBarbera” in Japan 2019 May, WORLD YOUTH JAZZ FESTIVAL, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2020 Feb, All Angels Music Festival, Hawaii USA 2020 June, Sile International Jazz Festival, Italia 2020 Oct, Cairo International Jazz Festival, Egypt
