Results for "Japan"

Junichiro Mataga

Born: August 20, 1982

Junichiro Mataga is a Jazz Pianist, Jazz Composer, Arranger, and Educator based in New York City. He grew up in Niigata, Japan. He began playing piano when at six years old. He moved to Tokyo after graduating high school and began studying Jazz Piano in the University Jazz Club. He graduated from The University of Electro-Communications with a major in Master of Engineering and then worked as a Sound and Vibration Researcher at the Central Research Lab of NEC Corporation. In parallel, he was active in the Jazz scene in Tokyo, Japan. He performed in his leader band, the big band “Shiny Stockings”, the gospel band “7season”, and the jazz quartet “Beyond the Cinema”

Hiroshi Fukutomi

Born: 1982

Guitarist and composer Hiroshi Fukutomi was born in Osaka (Japan). He started playing the guitar at the age of 14. After graduating from high school, he entered Koyo Conservatory in Kobe, where he began to study jazz and classical guitar. In 2003, he received a scholarship from Berklee College of Music (Boston), and subsequently entered the school in the fall of 2004. At Berklee, Hiroshi studied under the tuition of Jon Damian, Bret Willmott, Bruce Saunders, Hal Crook, Joe Lovano, George Garzone, Dave Santoro and many other teachers. In 2006, he was awarded the Guitar Department Achievement Award

Yuichiro Tokuda

Born: March 9, 1981

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. "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
Yuichiro Tokuda : Alto/Sopranino Sax, Vocal, Composition
Naoto Suzuki : Guitar
Shunichi Yanagi : Piano
Noriaki Hosoya : Bass
Yuto Maseki : Drums 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

Takuya Kuroda: Fly Moon Die Soon's Delicious Future-Funk Throwback

by Rob Garratt
September 17, 2020

Last time All About Jazz spoke to Takuya Kuroda, just days after the release of his smoky, neo-soul-styled breakthrough Rising Sun (Blue Note, 2014), the Japanese trumpeter was asked what he wanted to record next. “I see myself doing more of a straight-ahead thing," he said at time. “I might do an album with strings."

Yasushi Gonjo

Born: May 24, 1985

Yasushi was born in Yamaguchi, Japan. He learned the cornet, alto saxophone and guitar at an early age. He switched to the contrabass when he became sixteen years old. In 2004, he studied at Osaka College of Music in Osaka and he took lessons from Mr. Terumasa Hino, Tomoyuki Kimura, Ken Sakakura. Yasushi started playing career as a professional from a student. He experienced performed with top musicians such as Othello Molineaux, Eddie Henderson, Lewis Nash. Yasushi has made 8 CDs as a leader. His own band “GINGERBREAD BOYS” got number one Japanese Jazz Band of “Jazz Page’s A Popularity Vote 2012” And he has recorded 10 CDs an a side man. In 2010, he started to produce concert event “CHANGES” series to introduce young jazz bands. He has made successful 10 times the event. And 2011, he founded the independent record label “OPEN E MUSIC”

Yuto Mitomi

Born: January 26, 1984

Yuto Mitomi is a Saxophonist, Flutist, Clarinetist, Jazz Composer, Arranger, and Educator based in New York City. He grew up in Yokohama, Japan. He began playing piano when at three years old and started studying saxophone in junior high school. He moved to Tokyo after graduating high school and was a widely known young jazz saxophonist in the Tokyo area. He was very active in the Jazz community and performed at the Yokohama Jazz Promenade, Fuchu Jazz Festival, and other Jazz festivals held in various cities. He also graduated from the University of Electro-Communications with a major in mechanical engineering and then worked at Toyota as a mechanical engineer

Zac Zinger

Born: January 8, 1989

A multi-talented performer, Zac plays saxophones, flute, clarinet, shakuhachi, EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument), and a host of ethnic flutes. In 2019 he released his debut album, Fulfillment, which includes twelve original tracks for jazz quartet combining jazz fusion and Japanese traditional music. He has recorded woodwinds for the soundtracks of Final Fantasy XV: Assassin's Festival, Just Cause 4, Street Fighter V, RWBY, Lazer Team, Moonlight Blade OL, and many more. He has also had the pleasure of performing in twelve countries with the likes of Anat Cohen, Kirill Gerstein, Mario Frangoulis, Nobuo Uematsu, and Wataru Hokoyama

Machrijazz: A New Happening In Jazz Guitar by Martin Connolly

July 16, 2019

Machrijazz is the second album by solo guitar artist Machrijam. It features twelve tracks played exclusively on guitar, overdubbed. As the title suggests, Machrijazz represents a sui generis jazz, not easily categorized. It is blues-infused, but some tracks incorporate Country ‘n' Western or even a rock feel. The playing is assured and dynamic, the songs short ...

RINA

RINA was born and raised in Saitama, Japan and is now based in New York City, USA. RINA holds a Degree from the Kunitachi College Of Music in Japan where she studied with pianist Makoto Ozone. After graduation, RINA took an audition for the Berklee College Of Music in Boston, USA and her talent and exceptional abilities were clearly noticed. She received a full-scholarship to attend the college in consequence. She then graduated in 2018. RINA placed second in the Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition and also won the Nu Jazz Agency’s Chico & Lupe O’Farrill Award for Best Original Composition (2018)

Fabio Bottazzo

Born: January 3, 1971

FABIO BOTTAZZO
Guitarist, composer and educator. His playing is often praised for its delicacy and attention to space. Born in Padua, Italy. He studied at the "UM" music school in Rome and with Charlie Banacos. He attended the Berklee College of Music summer school and master classes with P. Metheny and W. Muthspiel. After playing in several metal bands, he began his career as a jazz guitarist in the 1990s. He moved to Niigata (Japan) in 2004. He has performed with many musicians such as Yasuhito Mori (b), Sebastiaan Kaptein (d), Yoichi Okabe (perc), and Ove Ingemarsson (sax). "What We Like" by Rich & Ricci became his fourth CD since coming to Japan. He has released performance videos incorporating the beautiful scenery of Niigata city.