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Yuto Kanazawa
About Me
Born in Tokyo, Japan 1986. Yuto Kanazawa is a jazz guitarist and composer graduated
from Berklee College of Music, Jazz Composition B.M. in the fall 2009. Kanazawa grew up
in Tokyo and Fukushima, also studied at Koyo Conservatory Kobe, before moving to the
United States. At Berklee, he had learned under such greats as Mick Goodrick, Tim Miller,
Hal Crook, Dave Santoro, and Greg Hopkins. The Grammy-nominated arranger and
trombonist, Phil Wilson, personelly recruited Yuto for Berklee’s Rainbow Bigband. The
experience would be a serious training ground for Kanazawa.
After graduating from Berklee, Kanazawa released his first album “Earthwards” from
Interrobang Records. The album contains 11 original compositions featuring five young
jazz phenoms from all around the world. Aside from the Japanese-born Kanazawa, it also
features Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere from South Africa, Jonathan Pinson from Los Angeles,
Mario Castro from Puerto Rico, and Felix Peikli from Norway. Grammy award-winning
vocalist Kurt Elling makes an appearance on the album's final track, Truth & the Abstract
Blues. On February 11th, 2013, Jeremy D. Goodwin of The Boston Globe wrote, the record
swings hard throughout, with the aggressive rhythm section frequently aiming friendly fire
at Kanazawa's smooth guitar lines and elegant head arrangements.
Kanazawa also has toured Japan three times - most recently including a sold-out concert
in his hometown of Shirakawa City, Fukushima. One notable composition on the
Earthwards album is entitled The Ocean, which is a meditation on the tragedy of the
Japanese Earthquake and and Tsunami of March 2011 - an event that deeply affected
Kanazawa and his homeland. Kanazawa performed “The Ocean” on the radio program “The
World” presented by BBC in February 2013.
Music of “Earthwards” is also featured on Kanazawa’s new collaborative project “The United
East Jazz Quintet” with Korean and Japanese young jazz musicians based in New York and
Boston. The band toured total 12 locations in Korea and Japan performing concerts and
giving free clinics for College and Concservatory students in June 2013.
http://www.yutokanazawa.com