Results for "Japanese"

Jun Iida

Born: May 15

Kaori Yamada

Born: December 23, 1971

KAORI YAMADA DRUMMER Jazz drummer Kaori Yamada was born in Takamatsu, Kagawa Pref., Japan. Kaori started to learn the piano at the age of 4 and she graduated from the School of Music, at Takamatsu Junior College, majoring in classical piano. Kaori began to play drums on her own initiative at the age of 14. She was particularly interested in Soul, R&B, and Jazz, music her brother was listening to at the time, and she developed a strong desire to become a professional drummer. From 1991 to 1995, Kaori was based in Hiroshima where she qualified as a drum instructor under the R.C.C. Takeshi Inomata Drum School at YAMAHA Music Shops, Chugoku Region

Mami Matsuura

Born in Japan, Mami Matsuura is a versatile pianist in the NYC area. She is a sought-after performer on various projects in many different styles of music. She graduated from Berklee College of Music in December 2019.

 Mami was selected as a member of the Piano Department Concert and was awarded the Jazz Performance Award while at Berklee. Mami is currently working as Keyboard 1 for CATS North American Tour. She is going to release her first original song in October.

Monday Michiru

Born: August 19

Monday Michiru (full name: Monday Michiru Mariano), so named to reflect her Japanese, Italian and American heritage, is also the genesis of renowned jazz musicians, NEA Jazz Master Toshiko Akiyoshi and cult jazz saxophonist Charlie Mariano, as well as jazz saxophonist-flutist Lew Tabackin who helped raise her. While she showed natural talent playing flute from a young age, studying classically at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy on scholarship, her inspiration in music caught fire with singing, composition and music production. In 1987, Monday was scouted by Japanese movie director, Shinji Somai, to debut in the lead role as an opera singer in his movie “Hikaru Onna” (“Luminous Woman”)

Yuko Mabuchi

Born: June

Yuko Mabuchi started playing classical piano at age 4, in her hometown of Fukui, Japan. As a teenager she was fascinated by American R&B, Hip-Hop and Blues. After hearing the music of some o f the Jazz greats, she fell in love with Jazz and after high school began her study jazz piano. She was soon performing locally as a soloist, and as a member of a local jazz trio.

In 2010, Yuko arrived in Los Angeles to further her studies and had the opportunity to perform at some of LAs top venues. Returning to Japan in 2013, she performed with her trio until returning to the US in 2016, continuing to develop her very unique performance style.

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”

Hanna Inui

Born: February 29

Hanna Inui is a Japanese pianist, composer, and improviser. Hanna holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA 2020/Jazz Piano) from School of Jazz at The New School. Hanna’s music molds influences from classical, Japanese pop music, and Black American music, and has two distinctive characters; one being the punk, and the other being the healer. Hanna is currently residing in Brooklyn, NY, exploring solo piano performance, composition, electronics, texts, sound art, and movement designs, searching ways music can exist in this society where every (recorded) music is available for (almost) anyone to hear.

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

KEITO NAKANO

Born: March 13, 1989

Keito is quickly becoming a prominent figure within the music industry. His natural talent as a drummer is gaining attention, especially in the Japan music scene. Born and raised in Osaka, Japan, Nakano began to play the drums when he was in high school at the age of 16. He was playing rock music in several music clubs with friends at that time. After he finished the high school, Nakano entered the Osaka University of Arts, majoring in Faculty of Arts of Visual Concept Planning Department which had been his another interest as an art form. Through his undergraduate study, Nakano had learned a lot about the film art technique including photography, screenplay, production, editing and so on

Koji Yoneyama

Born: December 14, 1987

Koji is a New York-based guitar player and composer with a background in jazz, rock, Funk, Soul, and pop. He was born and raised in Osaka, Japan in 1987, graduated from Osaka University of Arts with a Bachelors in Music. Koji started playing guitar at the age of 11 and won first prize in the for Best Guitarist in the 2005 Fresh Musician Championship in Osaka. At 21 he began studying Jazz under professors Sadao Ikeda, Takashi Nakamura who teach at Osaka University of Arts. To continue his progress upon graduation, Koji studied with the legendary Kazuhiko Takeda. Since moving to New York City, Koji also had the opportunity to study with Pasquale Grasso. After graduating, Koji worked at many venues in the Osaka area as a professional session guitarist