Tokyo Jazz Fest. London
27 - 31 October 2014, London
What? The inaugural "Tokyo Jazz Fest. London" is brought to Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho by Andrew Chapman and Bence Bolygo (Bolygomusic Productions) in partnership with the Japanese pianist, composer and producer Makoto Kuriya and the Japan Foundation. The five night Festival, from 27th October 2014 to 31st October 2014 will showcase an impressive range of singers and players not only from the Land Of The Rising Sun but also artists of British; Polish; Filipino; Hungarian and Swedish heritage. Makoto Kuriya studied and performed with Nathan Davis at the University of Pittsburgh, USA. He toured with Grammy winning artist Chuck Mangione in the late 1980s. He has also performed with many famous artists including Donald Byrd; Herbie Hancock and Billy Cobham. He returned to his homeland in 1990 and produced a series of award winning albums. In the mid-1990s, he performed the soundtrack for the globally acclaimed "Neon Genesis Evangelion" science fantasy animation series. In 2008, he took his hybrid Brazilian unit Rhythmatrix to the Taichung Jazz Festival and two years later his Tokyo Freedom Soul project performed at the Cairo Jazz Festival gaining headline coverage in the leading Egyptian newspaper "Al-Ahram." On the twentieth anniversary (2011) of his debut album Makoto Kuriya released the stellar "Art For Life" album featuring 27 guest artists!
Monday 27th October 2014 & Tuesday 28th October 2014
MAKOTO KURIYA + SYLWESTER OSTROWSKI + PIOTR WOJTASIK + ARNIE SOMOGYI
Doors: 7.00pm Showtime: 8.30pm Tickets: £17.50
Wednesday 29th October 2014
MAKOTO KURIYA + special guest CECILIA STALIN
Doors: 7.00pm Showtime: 8.30pm Tickets: £17.50
Thursday 30th October 2014
MAKOTO KURIYA + MARLENE
Doors: 7.00pm Showtime: 8.30pm Tickets: £22.00
For the past three decades, Marlene has been breaking barriers - musically and culturally - to become the most recognisable and successful singer in Japan, singing only in English. Leaving her native Philippines to pursue her career in Japan, she was initially promoted by Toshiba-EMI as a "teen idol" but this was short lived. After two years of being compromised in a sea of futility and banality that did not equate with her serious musical aspirations, she shifted her focus away from disposable pop to fusion and jazz. Her true vocal talent blossomed as displayed by the eventual recording of 18 albums with CBS/Sony (5 of which became gold) and a brace of albums with Toshiba-EMI plus 4 albums with Sony Music Japan International. She has performed with established artists such as Janet Kay; Cindy Lauper; George Benson; Larry Carlton and Benny Green along with some of Japan's top artists like T-Square; Kentaro Haneda and Seiko Matsuda. She has made her presence felt in the USA - performing at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and having an album reach the Top 30 of the Billboard Charts.
Friday 31st October 2014
MAKOTO KURIYA + MARLENE
Two shows: Doors: 5.00pm Showtime: 6.30pm Tickets: £25.00
Doors: 9.00pm Showtime: 9.30pm Tickets: £25.00
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27 - 31 October 2014 |
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Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, Jazz Club Soho, 10 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3RW |
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Tel: 0845 6027 017 (Box Office) E-mail:musicoffice@pizzaexpress.com |
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Bolygomusic Productions in conjunction with the Japan Foundation |
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