山中一毅

サックス奏者 / 作編曲家 / 音楽教育家

1985年さいたま市生まれ。14歳でサックスを始め、大学からジャズを始める。京都大学卒業後、一度は就職するもジャズの道を志し一年半で退社。2012年秋より渡米し、2014年にニューヨーク州立大学パーチェス音楽院の大学院ジャズ科を卒業。その後もニューヨークで活動を続ける。2ndアルバム“Dancer In Nirvana”が2020年にスペインの名門レーベルFresh Sound New Talentよりリリースされ、アメリカ、イギリス、日本のジャズ専門誌でいずれも高い評価を得る。7年間のニューヨークでの活動の末、2020年秋より日本に拠点を移す。

これまでにRuss Lossing(piano)、Cameron Brown(bass)、Gerald Cleaver(drums)、Billy Mintz(drums)、Ben Monder(guitar)、Todd Neufeld(guitar)といった主に前衛ジャズシーンのトッププレイヤーたちと共演。また日本でも様々なグループを主宰し、東京を拠点に全国各地のライブハウスで演奏している。

これまでに、Jon Gordon(sax)、Gary Smulyan(sax)、Lee Konitz(sax)、Hal Galper(piano)、John Abercrombie(guitar)、Jon Faddis(trumpet)、Steve Wilson(sax)、Miguel Zenon(sax)、Tony Malaby(sax)、Ralph Alessi(trumpet)、池田篤(sax)、井上祐一(piano)らに師事し、サックス、インプロヴィゼーション、ジャズアンサンブル、作曲、ジャズ史について学ぶ。

リリース作品：

●“Beyond Purgatory -Live at Pit Inn 2020-” (2021年)
渡辺翔太(piano), 落合康介(bass), 大村亘(drums)

●“Dancer In Nirvana” (2020年)
Russ Lossing(piano), Cameron Brown(bass), Gerald Cleaver(drums)

●”Songs Unconscious-minded” (2015年)
Gilad Hekselman(guitar), Fabian Almazan(piano), Linda Oh(bass), E.J. Strickland(drums), Daisuke Abe (guitar), Dana Malseptic(piano), Dean Torrey(bass), Aaron Seeber(drums)

Kazuki Yamanaka

Saxophonist / Composer / Arranger / Educator

Kazuki Yamanaka is a Japanese saxophonist, composer, improvisor who has released two albums as leader. His second album “Dancer In Nirvana” was recorded in 2019 with pianist Russ Lossing, bassist Cameron Brown, and drummer Gerald Cleaver and released in 2020 via the world-renowned Spanish label Fresh Sound New Talent. The album has gained favorable reviews from the leading jazz media Jazz Journal (UK), JazzTrail (US), and Jazz Japan. Yamanaka is currently based in Tokyo after he resided in New York from 2012 to 2020.

Born in Saitama, Japan, Yamanaka moved to New York in 2012 to study jazz at State University of New York Purchase College, where he took a master degree of music in 2014. He studied with the greatest masters both inside and outside the school such as Jon Gordon (sax), Gary Smulyan (sax), Hal Galper (piano), Jon Faddis (trumpet), John Abercrombie (guitar), Steve Wilson(sax), Miguel Zenon (sax), Tony Malaby (sax), Ralph Alessi (trumpet) and Lee Konitz (sax).

In 2015 Yamanaka released his debut album “Songs Unconscious-minded”, which was recorded with several different groups including Gilad Hekselman (guitar), Fabian Almazan (piano), Linda Oh (bass), and E.J. Strickland (drums). The album was given 4 stars by All About Jazz (US) and other positive reviews was published in the most influential jazz magazines in Japan, Jazz Japan and Jazz Life.

Yamanaka has recently performed with some of the finest musicians in the avant-garde jazz scene such as Russ Lossing (piano), Cameron Brown (bass), Gerald Cleaver (drums), Billy Mintz (drums), Ben Monder (guitar), Todd Neufeld (guitar), having headlined performances at prestigious venues in Brooklyn of New York City such as Ibeam, Scholes Street Studio, ShapeShifter Lab. He has also toured Japan many times since 2014 and has performed at Pit-Inn (Tokyo), Sometime (Tokyo), Le Club Jazz (Kyoto), Star Eyes (Nagoya), Blue Note (Nara) and many others. He is currently leading Kazuki Yamanaka Japan Quartet as his main band consisting of Shota Watanabe (piano), Kosuke Ochiai (bass) and Ko Omura (drums) as well as performing constantly with some other groups.