Makoto Kuriya

Makoto Kuriya is a highly regarded jazz pianist. Moving to America after graduating high school, he performed with many jazz virtuosos. He did a US tour, notably, with Grammy winner Chuck Mangione's group. He was also the Jazz instructor at Pittsburg University. When he was a student in America, he made a deep connection with the African-American community. This strongly influence Kuriya and developed his uniquely groovy, playful style. After returning to Japan, Kuriya went beyond music limited to genre, performing a jazz-based classical music, Japanese music, and club music. He also has performed with and produced compositions for Japanese pop artists such as Ken Hirai and Misato Watanabe. Kuriya worked as the music director for "Nitaboh: the Founder of Tsugaru Shamisen" an animation film screened in 2004 and he was highly praised for adopting music by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. This film won the grand prize at the biggest Asian Animation Film Festival, SICAF 2006, which gathered over 1,000 films from 54 countries around the world. In October 2004, Kuriya was the only person from Asia to be invited to the International Music Day Commemorative Music Festival held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. He performed along with other world-class musicians. Since then, Kuriya has done a Europe Tour every year. He is rapidly gaining repute in the European Jazz scene. Also, in September this year, he will participate in an Australian tour with the special Japanese-Australian unit that was formed. Increasingly, Kuriya is an artist commended as an eminent International musician.
Homepage:http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/tothemax/

Cameron Deyell

New Zealand born guitarist and composer, Cameron Deyell, graduated with first-class honours in Jazz Performance from the University of Adelaide in 1998, He completed his Honours course work at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he was a student of jazz guitar legend Kenny Burrell.
In 1999 Cameron moved to Sydney where he has been active in the thriving contemporary music scene. He has led several bands including New Music Congress, Missile and progressive hip-hop group Ends & Means- receiving popular radio airplay and performed at the 2003 Livid Festival in Sydney. All of these bands featured Cameron's original compositions.

He has performed in numerous other bands such as Mike Nock's Big Small Band (winner of 2004 Bell Jazz Award Album of the Year, ABC Music; nominated for ARIA award 2004), Freedivers (performed at Wangaratta Jazz Festival in 2001 and 2004 and described by critic John Shand, SMH, as one of the highlights of each festival), Bertie Blackman and reggae band The Resurrectors. He also has an ongoing relationship with Is Theatre Ltd, based in Hobart, where he currently composes and improvises as part of 'U.T.E - Universal Theory of Everything.' This is a multi-artform jam already having three seasons in Tasmania, including the Falls Festival, New Year's Eve, 2005.
Cameron has performed at many music festivals including the 2004 Jazz:Now Festival at the Sydney Opera House Studio, the 2004 and 2003 Half-Bent Winter Music Festivals in Melbourne, 2004 and 2001 Wangaratta Jazz Festivals, 2004 and 2003 Boiler Room: a national cross-artform improvisation laboratory in Hobart, and as a solo artist as part of "Celebrate Australia" at the 2002 Shanghai International Arts Festival in China. He also led an ensemble from the University of Adelaide at the 1998 IAJE Jazz Festival in Times Square, New York.

Tetsuya Hayakawa

Tetsuya Hayakawa was born in Osaka prefecture and began his professional music career while still a student, as a member of a group that involved Hiroki Miyano (g), Kazumasa Akiyama (g) and others. He has since played in groups with Carioca, Acoustic Club, Toshihiro Nakanishi (vl), and Rie Akagi (fl), his solid technique and uncompromising musical sense gaining overwhelming confidence of other musicians. Hayakawa has performed in a variety of settings. He played backup for such pop artists as EPO, Midori Karashima, Tokiko Kato, and Hiromi Iwasaki. He has also performed accompanying music for stage plays. In addition to the above artists, the guitarist is currently taking part in albums and tours of coba (Aco), Makoto Kuriya (pf), Ikuko Kawai (vl), Nakamura Yoshiro (vo), Kazunori Kumagai (tap), and Tatsuo Sunaga (dj). He gives a first impression of being a craftsman, but deep down he possesses profound artistic talent and his own strong ideas regarding music. A jazz bassist in Japan who uses catgut for strings-a rarity in Japan-no one can compete with his bold groove and beautiful tones.

Masahiko Osaka

Masahiko Osaka was born on September 28, 1966.
In 1986 Osaka received a scholarship to study abroad at the Berkeley College of Music. While studying there, he played in Delphio Marsalis's band, and appeared in jazz festivals all over the United States. After making appearances in New York, he returned to Japan in 1990 and formed the Masahiko Osaka - Tomonao Hara Quintet. He has released six albums, two of which were as awarded the Gold Disc Awards by Swing Journal Magazine. In addition to this achievement Osaka has released four albums through the Jazz Networks, a Japanese-American collaborative band. He has released five original albums, the third of which, "Walking Down Lexington", received the Production Award from the Swing Journal Magazine. At present, Osaka energetically performs on a regular basis with the MOST, EQ, M's, and Direction. Since 1995 he has continued to be ranked as the best drummer in the Swing Journal Magazine Readers Poll. Oosaka also lectures in jazz classes at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.

Ken Ota

Ken Ota first played tenor sax in a junior high brass band, after which he switched to alto sax in high school. He fell in love with jazz around that time when he first heard Cannonball Adderley. Ota entered Waseda University and studied Russian literature but on the side, he was being tutored in the arts of jazz sax technique under Atsushi Ikeda. When Ota went to the US he studied with Vincent Herring and Kenny Garrett. Afterwards, Ota visited Germany, England, and other countries, receiving stimulation from each encounter with local jazz music trends. In 1997 he made his pro debut as a regular member of Masahiko Osaka's group. He also played with the band of drummer Tony Campbell, who has made Japan his bastion. Ota frequently plays gigs in New York City, and often takes the stage together with musicians who come to Japan, including Kenny Kirkland (piano), Jeff Watts (drums), Kevin Hayes (piano), and Bennie Maupin (tenor sax). Playing in various gigs and doing recordings, he is active in a wide variety of genres including jazz, funk, and pop music. Ota has also played for television commercials, something which has become as much a hot topic of discussion as his other performances.

In March 2006, Ken Ota released his first CD, Swingroove/Ken Ota, under the Universal Music label. Following Sadao Watanabe, Ota is the second Japanese saxophonist to have a CD released under the Verve label, known for its recordings of such jazz superstars as Charlie Parker and Oscar Peterson.

Naoko Terai

Hailing from Kanagawa Prefecture, Naoko Terai was born on the May 1. She started violin at the age of 4 and made her pro debut as a jazz violinist in 1986. In 1995, after performing in Japan with jazz pianist Kenny Barron, she was invited to play as a guest on his album which became her first New York recording. Since then, she has been expanding her musical activities in a wide variety of genres, including television and radio, with a focus on live performances. Terai has received a number of prizes, including the Japan Gold Disc Awards Album of the Year (traditional Japanese music) and the Jazz Disc Award (Japan jazz category). She was chosen as the winner of Readers' Choice Awards in Jazzman of the Year and Album of the Year sections hosted by Swing Journal Magazine. Recently, her original album "Night Flight" is selling very well under the Toshiba EMI label.

Terai began the violin at the age of 4, and made her pro debut as a jazz violinist in 1986. Thanks to the opportunity to perform with visiting jazz pianist Kenny Barron in 1995, Terai was given another fantastic chance at making her fist NY recording only a short two years later A subsequent focus on live performances, which have been widely acclaimed for her originality of expression, has expanded her musical career to a variety of genres including television and the radio. She has received a wide number of prizes, including the Japan Gold Disc Award "Jazz Album of the Year" for traditional Japanese music, the Jazz Disc Award "Japan Jazz Prize", was chosen as the winner of Readers' Choice Awards in New Star, Jazzman of the Year and Album of the Year sections hosted by Swing Journal Magazine. Recently, her original album "Night Flight" is selling favorably under the Toshiba EMI label

Phil Slater

Phil Slater is a multi-award winning trumpeter and composer based in Sydney, Australia. He is the leader or co-leader of several bands including the Phil Slater Quartet and Band of Five Names, and has performed and recorded with artists including Nigel Kennedy, DIG, Archie Roach, Mike Nock, Terumasa Hino, Jim Black and The Australian Art Orchestra.

He has been a featured artist at many music festivals, including those at Montreaux, Northsea, Umbria, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Copenhagen, London, Tokyo, Mexico, Soeul, Hanover, Washington D.C., and New York.

As well as being awarded the 2004 Bell Award for Australian Jazz Artist of the Year, Phil was the 2003 Australian National Jazz Award winner, was awarded the 2002 Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship, and was a semi finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition.

James Greening

One of Australia's leading jazz trombonists, James Greening has been widely praised for his work with a diverse range of ensembles: among them, Ten Part Invention, Wanderlust, The catholics, The Umbrellas and the Australian Art Orchestra. With The World According To James, he steps forward as a bandleader and composer, presenting music with all the qualities of wit, creativity and exuberance that have long been associated with his work as a soloist.
Born in Newcastle, James' early experiences included the Newcastle Police Boys Band, with which he toured Europe and Australia. While studying jazz at the NSW Conservatorium, he began working with both modern and traditional jazz bands around Sydney.
Through the 1980s James developed his distinctive sound and style while working with a broad range of jazz ensembles, Latin and R&B bands, orchestras and television showbands. In addition to the groups mentioned above, he has also worked with Bernie McGann (recording the classic CD McGann with the McGann Trio for Rufus), Jackie Orszaczky's various groups, Tim Hopkins' Funkenstein and James Morrison's Hot Horn Happening.
He formed The World According To James in 1992. They released their first CD of original compositions, No Job Too Small, on Rufus in 1999. Joining James (who plays pocket trumpet with this band, as well as his more familiar trombone) are Andrew Robson (alto sax), Steve Elphick (bass, cornet) and Toby Hall (drums).
During 2002 WATJ participated in SIMA's Regional Touring Programme with performances in Newcastle, Armidale, Bellingen, Orange and Bathurst.
In 2002 WATJ was invited to the prestigious JazzFest Berlin and also performed at renowned jazz venues in Dresden, Munich, Cologne and Amsterdam.

Matt Keegan

Matt Keegan developed his style of saxophone playing working with LA based rock group Pseudopod for over 3 years. Touring all over the United States, Keegan gained valuable experience opening for bands including Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews, Angelique Kidjo and the Dixie Dregs. He regularly performed onstage with other bands including Maroon 5, Marc Broussard, OAR and members from Blues Traveller while on the road.
Since returning to Australia, Matt has continued to develop his own music by consistently working and recording with different groups in diverse musical areas. Genres and bands include; hip hop with Ends and Means; funk with Jackie Orszaczky; reggae with the Resurrectors, jazz with the Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra; Latin American with Tigramuna and contemporary music with 20th Century Dog. During the last 2 years he has recorded music for artists on more than 10 albums.
Keegan is also the leader of his own group the Matt Keegan trio, which he uses as a vehicle for his own compositions and musical ideas. Highlights of the bands career so far include releasing 2 albums on Jazzgroove Records, performing as part of the Jazz:Now festival at the Sydney Opera House, playing live on the Music Show on radio national and having their first release "moving sea between" as "album of the week" on 2SER FM. Keegan's energy, outstanding technique and musicality, as well as his incorporation of cutting edge technology in performance set him apart as one of the most exciting performers on the music scene today.