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JAPAN: NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION SERIES Vol.17
Feat. Natsuko Furukawa 古川 奈都子 : Piano and Vocal (from Tokyo, Japan)
Yutaka Umitsuki 海付 豊 : Alto Saxophone (from Tokyo, Japan)
Yoshie Nakamura 中村 好江 : Trumpet (from Suzuka, Japan)
Available now on , iTunes, Spotify and Amazon etc.
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I’ve been doing this project “JAPAN: NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION SERIES” since 2016 and it’s always special, but this time, it’s truly special session we made it with three amazing feature guests, Natsuko Furukawa on piano, her husband Yutaka Umitsuki on Alto Saxophone and Yoshie Nakamura on Trumpet all the way from Japan.
If you follow this project for a while, some of you may have noticed though,
I invite each musician to the recording for one session once, it’s one kind of rule for this project since I’d love to introduce/invite many musicians as I can,
But again, this is extremely special opportunity to have Gerald French (he was on the very first session on vol.1) and Richard Moten (also played with us on vol.4) again. And happy to have Tom Fischer, he leads the New Orleans All Stars band and their Japan tour every summer.
Natsuko Furukawa, one of the great New Orleans style Jazz Piano player in Japan, also great alumnae of Waseda University's New Orleans Jazz Club 早稲田大学ニューオルリンズジャズクラブ, I mentioned another recording also but Tomohiko (vol.4), Makiko (vol.5), Kensuke (vol.9) Tomomitsu (vol.10) , Shoma (vol.12), Mayu and Sayuri (vol.15), also New Orleans finest Piano player Mari （fun fact, Natsuko and Mari were class mate at the University) and myself, we are all came through that same Jazz Club(Society) in Tokyo, Japan. Her first time to come to New Orleans was 38 years ago and comes to New Orleans with her husband, great saxophone player Yutaka Umitsuki, almost every year since then, now she became like an extended family member of New Orleans Jazz Community.
Yoshie Nakamura is also a fine regular New Orleans lover every spring time she comes to New Orleans and keeps playing the traditional style. It’s rare to fine someone plays the traditional style of New Orleans Jazz, especially her hometown Suzuka, Japan but she also travels a lot with her Trumpet.
Hope this project will be a linking bridge for both communities, between New Orleans and Japan, and also will encourage young future musicians!!
Haruka Kikuchi, April 2025
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