Artists of the Month: May 2012

MONDAYS (5/7, 5/14, 5/21 and 5/28)

 

Hajime Yoshida

http://www.hajimeyoshida.com/

 

Hajime Yoshida is originally from Chiba, Japan. He started playing the guitar at the age of 15. After a year studying how to play the instrument by himself, his parents decided to give him professional lessons by local recording musicians. Even though his interest was playing rock music at first, he went into playing improvised music and jazz as well during his high school period.

 

He spent 6 years of studying jazz guitar/composition at The University of North Texas. While he was living in Denton, TX, he had great experiences playing with great local musicians. Also, He was very fortunate being able to study with his mentor and guitar teacher, Fred Hamilton. Hajime received a scholarship in the jazz studies while he was attending the college. Hajime also studied with Antonio Hart, David Berkman, Jeb Patton, Johannes Weidenmuller, and Paul Bollenback at Aaron Copland School of Music while he is obtaining a master’s degree in music performance.

 

He moved to Brooklyn, NY in 2009, and has been a very active musician in New York until now, frequently holds shows in New York venues.

 

Not only Hajime is a fine guitar player and improviser, his compositions are beautifully done, and they interest audiences. His compositions attract people by contrast between very simple, memorable melodies and complex harmonic and rhythmic ideas.

 

Hajime’s showcase of compositions, “Unlimitation” will be released in 2012 from Armored Records featuring Sylvester Onyejiaka on tenor sax, Yuka Tadano on bass, and Keita Ogawa on drums.

TUESDAYS (5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22 and 5/29)

 

Yvonnivk Prene

http://yvonnickprene.com/

http://newyorkharmonicalessons.com/

 

Pianist Aaron Goldberg says "I am confident he will be one of the finest jazz musicians ever to play his challenging but beautiful instrument".

Influenced by harmonicists such as Stevie Wonder, Toots Thielemans, and Gregoire Maret, Yvonnick Prene stepped out on his own to conquer his own voice on the harmonica. Born in Paris, France, and a New Yorker for the past 4 years, Yvonnick began his career as a sideman at age 17, recording and performing around the world with some of today’s top musicians such as Laurent Cugny, Manu Katche, Nate Smith, Ira Coleman, Tom Kennedy, Ben Street, Laurent de Wilde, Alexandre Tassel, Cyrille Aimee, Dave Glasser, Yotam Silbersten, Freddy Bryant, Yaron Herman among others.

Yvonnick has garnered numerous awards that showcase his abilities as a performer and a composer. Among those he was awarded the first prize of "Trophées du Sunside" in Paris with the Scott Tixier Group 2007, he was selected to participate in the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency Program in Washington D.C, 2011, he was also awarded multiple full-tuition scholarships at The City College of New York 2007, Columbia University 2008, and at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music 2009.
He earned in 2011 a Master’s degree in Music and Research at the Sorbonne University and a Bachelor of Fine Art from The New School.

For harmonica lessons contact Yvonnick at yvonnickprene@orange.fr.

WEDNESDAYS (5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23 and 5/30)

 

Yuko Okamoto

http://www.yukookamotomusic.com/

 

Yuko is quickly becoming a prominent and highly sought-after musician within themusic industry.Her natural talent as a pianist and her mature musicality as a composer are quickly gaining attention, especially on the New York music scene.

 

Born and raised in Miyagi, Japan, she studied piano at an early age with Yamaha Music School. Yuko began learning jazz standards and studied jazz improvisation on her own. She took the opportunity to audition for an International Electone Competition and she became one of the semifinalists. After graduating from Miyagi Gakuin High School, where she studied violin, choir, piano and classic and contemporary composition, Yuko moved to Tokyo, then after to the United States. 

 

Yuko studied jazz and contemporary music at Berkle College of Music. She met many great musicians and began studying with some of the most influential professors in Boston and highly acclaimed musicians such as Gorge W Russell Jr., Bill Elliott and Walter Beasley. During her time at Berklee, Yuk was selected to participate in the 2008 Summer Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, where she performed her original music. In addition to this festival, Yuko performed many different venues around the East coast. In 2008, Yuko was awarded a Berklee full scholarship and performed at Boston City Hallwith other scholarship recipients. During this time Ms. Okamoto took her music internationally and was offered collaboration by various movie, video, music companies.

 

Yuko moved to New York City to continue her career as a professional musician. Her own band was chosen semi-finalist of Bucharest International jazz competition. And she performed International jazz festival in Ukraine 2011 as the first Japanese player this festival.

Artists of the Month: June 2012

MONDAYS (6/4, 6/11, 6/18 and 6/25)


Joonsam Lee

Joonsam Lee, born and raised in Seoul, Korea, moved to the NYC area in 2007 and in terms of huge musical spectrum, he has taken part in various musical projects including bebop jazz, improvisational music, free music, rock, pop, classical music, Korean traditional music and Broadway musical. Since settling in Manhattan, he has been very active in the NY metropolitan area, performing at some of the finest jazz clubs and venues, not only as a side man but also a bandleader. He performed in New York at Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Smalls, Fat cat, 55 bar, Kitano, Cleopatra's needle, Jules bistro, etc, and toured Italy (Grand Tour Jazz festival, Jazz di Marcia Jazz festival, etc), South Korea (Jarasum International Jazz Festival), Taiwan (Taichung Jazz Festival), Ukraine (Oddesa Jazz Festival) and U.A.E. with N.Y.U. Jazz Orchestra as well as appearing with symphony orchestras (NYKSO, Ureuk, Leon Lacey).

TUESDAYS (6/5, 6/12, 6/19 and 6/26)
 
Hironori Momoi
 
Drummer, composer and educator Hironori Momoi was born in Tokyo, Japan on August 29, 1984. His father always played music at home, so he grew up with music.
 
In August 2007, Hironori moved to New York and started studying jazz at The City College of New York. He studied jazz/classical theory, playing in ensembles, composing and arranging with great musicians at CCNY, such as John Patitucci and Mike Holober.
While a student, he won The Ervin Drake Scholarship and The Edward Rensin Memorial Award. In May 2010, he attained BFA degree in jazz drum performance from CCNY as summa cum laude.
 
His passion for jazz brought him to study in MA at Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College from fall 2010. He has studied there with great musicians such as Michael Mossman,David Berkman and Antonio Hart.
Hironori has been selected among the students to perform on the radio,WBGO and his composition "Showers" was featured. He has also performed at Lincoln Center for Champions of Jazz Benefit 2011 as an opening act for Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove, Joe Lovano and others.
 
Hironori is currently performing at various venues in NYC.
WEDNESDAYS (6/6, 6/13, 6/20 and 6/27)
 
Tomoko Omura
 
Tomoko Omura is a jazz violinist in New York. Born in Japan, she started playing the violin at the age four. While she was studying classical violin, she got into rock and jazz when she was a teenager. After she entered the university, she started improvising on violin. Her passion for jazz brought her to U.S. in 2004 and she has studied at Berklee College of Music where she was awarded “Roy Haynes Award”. After Berklee, she started working on her project of the self-produced jazz album “Visions” while she was an active musician in Boston. The album was released in 2008 to critical acclaim. The same year, she was awarded “Honorable Mention” at International Songwriting Competition. In June 2009, "Strings" magazine recognized her as one of 15 "Emerging Solo Artists". She relocated to NY in fall, 2009 and has been performing exclusively both in Japan and the U.S. with her group and the other groups in various styles.

Artists of the Month: April 2012

MONDAYS (4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23 and 4/30)

 

Quentin Angus

http://www.quentinangus.com/

 

"Soloing with ingenuity, and a flawless technique, springing unexpected phrases of dazzling invention."- John McBeath "Quentin Angus is a very talented young guitarist and composer with a great future ahead of him." - Jon Gordon

Quentin Angus has received international and national recognition, including; an 'International Downbeat Magazine Student Music Award' (2011),  an 'ASCAP Young Jazz Composer Award' (2012), a semi-finalist in the 2012 International Songwriting Competition (ISC), and has recently been named one of four finalists in the '2012 APRA Art Music Awards', in the 'Award for Excellence in Jazz' Category.

He has performed in Japan, USA, Australia, Europe and New Zealand, including Jazz Hoeilaart (Belgium), and the Adelaide International Guitar Festival (Australia). This has included recording/ performing with John Abercrombie, Colin Stranahan, Linda Oh, Rogerio Boccato, Bob Minzer and Wolfgang Muthspiel, and recently releasing his debut album 'Retrieval Structure' which has been described as; "a statement of bold beauty, artistry and ability." – Doug Munro

TUESDAYS (4/3, 4/10, 4/17 and 4/24)

 

Kenji Yoshitake

Kenji Yoshitake's Website

 

Kenji Yoshitake was born in Japan in 1985. He started electric bass when he was 12 years old.After high school graduation, he entered Senzoku GakuenCollege of Music in Yokohama. And he studied acoustic bass,jazz theory, ear training, jazz arranging and ensemble. WhenAaron Goldberg, Eric Harland, Reuben Rogers, JonathanKreisberg, Matt Penman, Mark Ferber and Tiger Okoshivisited the school for clinic, he was offered to participate in arepresentative band to play on stage with them as ademonstrator.In 2007, after receiving scholarship, he moved to Boston to goto Berklee College of Music.At Berklee, he studied with musicians such as JohnLockwood, Greg Osby, Dave Santro, Victor Mendoza, DaveSamuels, Oscar Stagnaro, Marcello Pellitteri and Whit Brown.After Berklee College of Music graduation, he moved to NewYork and He has playing around New York area. He performed with musicians such asRick Germanson, Lafayette Harris Jr, Tadataka Unno, JackieWilliams, Grant Stewart, Vince Cherico, Jason Brown, TonyMiddelton, Jesse Elder, Kyoko Oyobe, Bruce Saunders,Marcello Pellitteri, Terumasa Hino, Tomonao Hara, MasahikoOsaka, Kazuhiko Michishita.

WEDNESDAYS (4/4, 4/11, 4/18 and 4/25)

 

Charles Turner III

http://www.charlesturner3.com/

 

Charles Turner III, Jazz vocalist was born in Los Angeles, California. He received his B.M. degree in 2010 from Berklee College of Music. He has performed in many venues around NYC city and has also played outside of the country in Germany,Spain,France, Brussels, and switzerland at the Montruex Jazz Festival. In 2008 he performed alongside Bobby Mcferrin at Carnegie in the instant Opera Concert. He has also performed alongside artist such as Marcus Miller, Dee Dee Brigdewater, Patrice Rushen, Terri Lynn Carrington, and Lalah Hathaway. Charles has a deep passion for jazz music and will continue to make great around NYC and the world.

Artists of the Month: March 2012

MONDAYS (3/5, 3/12, 3/19 and 3/26)

 

Angela Davis 

http://www.angeladavismusic.com

 

Australian saxophonist Angela Davis is currently based in New York City and is a emerging as a unique creative voice after having immersed herself in the music scene. 

So far Angela has recorded/performed with Don Burrows, Kevin Hunt, Jim Pugh, James Morrison, Graeme Lyall, John Hoffman, Matthew Jodrell, Kristin Berardi, Steve Newcomb, Joe Chindamo, the Lars Halle Jazz Orchestra and the American Jazz Repertory Orchestra.

As a group leader Angela has premiered original compositions at the Melbourne Women's International Jazz Festival and at the Noosa Jazz Festival. As a sideman she has performed throughout Australia and America at festivals such as the Villanova Jazz Festival, the Mainline Jazz Festival, the Sunshine Coast Jazz Festival, the Valley Jazz Festival and the Bangalow Jazz Festival. 

TUESDAYS (3/6, 3/13, 3/20 and 3/27)

 

Arthur Sadowsky

 

Arthur Sadowsky is now considered one of the top electric bass players in the New York scene. Currently he is performing, composing, arranging and the musical director of “Arthur Sadowsky and the Troubadours” regularly gigging in Manhattan. Born and raised in the icy tundras of the USSR Arthur was surrounded by music and art from a very young age and knew this was going to be a life-long passion. Studying Russian classical music throughout his childhood it wasn’t until the age of 14 when he heard the music of Joe Zawinul that his life would change forever. Hearing jazz for the first time was the awakening he was looking for, according to Arthur “it was like being able to fly or speak to Dolphins.” He knew to pursue this dream he would have to leave his country.
 
Arthur’s love affair with the Bass Guitar started when he was 16, he recalls “I was at a night club checking out a musician friend of mine and the band was on break, standing alone in the middle of the stage was this sleek and sexy Electric Bass gently supported on a guitar stand by its neck. I was in love for the first time in my life and this passion will never wane.”
 
Through years of study Arthur has perfected his craft as a performer, composer and arranger and has truly created his own unique sound with heavy influences from the great lineage of jazz musicians most notably Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Joe Zawinul. “I can’t wait to see what is next for me on this artistic journey through life. I am looking forward to sharing my deep and passionate love of music with all of you, please stay tuned and never stop swinging.”