Culture art
Shakuhachi x JAZZ Special Live (Itabashi Artist Collection)

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Kobayashi Reikan (Shakuhachi)

Graduated from the Department of Traditional Japanese Music, Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. Completed the 55th NHK Traditional Japanese Music Skills Training Association. Started classical piano from age 3 to 12, guitar from age 13, and gradually became interested in jazz. In his third year of university, he encountered the shakuhachi and studied Kinko-ryu shakuhachi under Yokota Suzuko. While studying at Tokyo University of the Arts, he studied Kinko-ryu shakuhachi under Tokumaru Jumei, Aoki Akito, and Tanaka Yasumune. While studying classical music, he independently mastered jazz performance on the shakuhachi. Selected as a finalist at the Yokohama Jazz Promenade Detroit Jazz Festival Competition in 2016. Selected as NEXT Artist - Young Artist Support Project - 2024, initiated by Miyamoto Amon, and performed at the Hibiya Festival. Appeared at the Freespace Jazz Festival held in Hong Kong in the same year. He has released two albums as a leader, "Gakudan Hitori" (2024) and "SHAKUHACHI JAZZ" (2015). Currently, he is actively performing as a jazz shakuhachi player, while also working as a multi-instrumentalist playing piano, guitar, bass, voice percussion, and more.

Yoshihisa Suzuki (guitar, piano)

Born in Oita Prefecture. Composer, arranger, guitarist and keyboardist. As a composer, he has worked on the "PaRappa the Rapper" series, "Tamagotchi's Omisetchi" series, and the Japanese-produced Disney animation "Stitch!". As a jazz guitarist, he has performed with Honda Toshiyuki, Monday Michiru, and others, and participated in Nakaji Hideaki's Obata Segundo. In 2017, he recorded a duo album with Monday, "Naked Breath 2," in NYC, and performed live with the Japanese-American Monday Band. He has participated in orchestras in many musicals. He is active mainly in his own band, tail wind, and has released the albums "In Praise of Shadows" (2019) and "KUON" (2023). He has also attracted attention for his unique performance style, poly performance.

Ryoji Orihara (Fretless Bass)

Born in Miyoshi-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama Prefecture. One of the few professional fretless bass players in the world, he has played the fretless bass throughout his entire career. He is also recognized as a world-renowned Jaco Pastorius researcher. Since 2010, he has been promoting intangible interior design, BGA (Back Ground Ambient) "Transparent Furniture" nationwide. He also regularly holds national bass solo live tours. He is the musical director of Masahiro Sayama's New Trio B'Ridge. In 2018, he released "B'Ridge" (KING RECORD). In 2018, he started the improvisation performance duo "floor girl" at public baths with dancer Yuhei Ara. In 2021, he released the album "VIRTUAL SILENCE" with jazz vocalist Tomoe Nishimura, who served as his musical director and artistic director. From the May 2016 issue of Bass Magazine (Rittor Music), he wrote a series entitled "Learn from Jaco, the Basics of Bass Playing (5 Parts)" that delves into the fundamentals of Jaco Pastorius' playing style. He has also contributed many articles about Jaco Pastorius to specialist magazines.

Yuto Maseki (drums)

Born in Kushiro, Hokkaido. Influenced by his parents, he was familiar with music from an early age, and started tap dancing at the age of 9. Later, he became interested in drums and decided to pursue music seriously at the age of 17. He moved to Tokyo in 2008 to enter university. He started performing live, doing sessions while he was a student. In the same year, he won the Sapporo City Jazz Contest Grand Prize. He has performed at jazz festivals in Canada, Korea, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Serbia, India, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. In 2012, he appeared on NHK-BS1's "Earth TV El Mundo". In 2014, he was selected as the drummer for a band made up of young all-stars at "BLUE NOTE plays BLUE NOTE" hosted by Blue Note Tokyo. In 2017, he played drums for the theme song and soundtrack music of "Manga Space Brothers x Konica Minolta Planetarium". In 2020, he appeared at Blue Note Tokyo. His interview was published in Rhythm&Drums Magazine. He has participated in many recordings, including EMI Music, Universal Music, and Reborn Wood. Currently, he performs live with many musicians around the country, mainly in Tokyo.