Yutaka Shiina (椎名 豊, Shiina Yutaka, born 23 September 1964) is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer.
Yutaka Shiina | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Yutaka Shiina (椎名 豊, Shiina Yutaka) |
| Born | 23 September 1964 Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Website | yutakashiina.com |
Early life edit
Shiina was born in Tokyo on 23 September 1964.[1] He had piano lessons from the age of three.[1] From 1982 he studied composition at the Kunitachi College of Music; while still a student, he became a professional jazz pianist.[1]
Later life and career edit
Shiina joined the bands of Lionel Hampton and Vincent Herring for their 1989 tours of Japan.[1] In the following year he became part of Roy Hargrove's quartet.[1] Shiina was a founding member of the Jazz Networks, and led this band from 1992.[1] He formed his own trio in 1994, initially with bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Masahiko Osaka.[1] This band recorded, as did later versions that contained Veal and Herlin Riley, then Christian McBride and Clarence Penn.[1]
In 1996 the pianist toured Japan with trumpeter Duško Gojković and Europe with drummer Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine.[1] In 2007 Shiina co-led a tour of the UK with trumpeter Damon Brown.[2] The two played together in the UK again, under the leadership of Brown and saxophonist Steve Grossman, in 2012.[3]
Playing style edit
John Fordham of The Guardian compared Shiina with pianist Wynton Kelly and commented that Shiina "keeps his virtuosity throttled back and maintains a hip expressiveness by letting insinuations, nuances and implied swing, and the subtle tick of the rhythm section do much of the work."[2]
Discography edit
An asterisk (*) after the year indicates that it is the year of release.
As leader/co-leader edit
| Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Movin' Forces | BMG | Trio, with Reginald Veal (bass), Masahiko Osaka (drums) |
| 1995* | Hittin' the Spirit | BMG | Trio, with bass, drums |
| 1996* | At the Moment | BMG | |
| 1998 | United | BMG | Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Clarence Penn (drums) |
| 2000* | Happy to Swing | BMG | |
| 2009* | Walkin' in the Clouds | Space Shower Music | |
| 2015 | Future Swing | Scene-a Music |
As sideman edit
| Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Jazz Networks | Straight to Standards | BMG |
| 1992 | The Jazz Networks | Beauty and the Beast | BMG |
| Tomonao Hara | For Musicians Only, Vol. 1[4] | King |
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Sugiyama, Kazunori "Shiina, Yutaka". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz (2nd ed.). Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 22 May 2015. (Subscription required).
- ^ a b Fordham, John (6 December 2007) "Yutaka Shiina/Damon Brown". The Guardian.
- ^ "Live Music". (25 February 2012) The Financial Times. Life and Arts, p. 15.
- ^ Minor 2004, p. 94.
- Bibliography
- Minor, William (2004). Jazz Journeys to Japan: The Heart Within. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0-472-11345-3.