How long have you been working in Boston?
My wife and I arrived in Boston in July 1972 during our honeymoon. After we traveled across the U.S. on a Greyhound bus from the west to Boston, my mind suggested to not to go back to Japan…
Thus, I graduated from Berklee College of Music summa cum laude in 1975 and started a journey where I went on to perform at Carnegie Hall, NY with Gary Burton in 1976. Performed with the legendary Tony Bennett. Joined the world known jazz big band, Buddy Rich Orchestra in 1977 and toured all over the U.S. Then joined the Gary Burton quartet
and toured all over Europe, Japan and U.S. from 1977~1979. I received the Best Composer & Arranger of the year award in the Collegiate Jazz Festival at the University of Notre Dame with performances by the MIT Jazz Orchestra in 1979.
Then I started to win many awards such as Boston Music Awards, Victor Hit records, etc., and started to tour the U.S and Canada and Japan with my original Fusion band “Tiger’s Baku.” We are the mystical creature "Baku" who goes around the world to eat people’s bad dreams.
I experienced the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995 in my hometown of Ashiya city which greatly changed my perspective on life, and joined Berklee as a faculty member in 1995 where I still teach to this day.
The town of Needham, MA where I have been living for over 40 years, selected me for their “From Needham to the World” series and put up a large mural across from the Town Hall between March-June, 2023. Needam had also selected my family as one of the most inspiring families in the history of Needham in 2013.
Some of the awards I have received...
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Commendation award received from Japanese government in August, 2014 for distinguished contribution for better relations between the U.S and Japan.
The Best Producer and Planning award by Jazz Tokyo magazine for producing Mizuho's CD “Romantic Gershwin” in February, 2015.
John Thayer Award for the contribution to better relations between U.S. and Japan. Awarded by the Japan Society of Boston on May 28th, 2008.
Contribution to the Advancement of International Music, Understanding and Good Will from Berklee College of Music in March, 2007.
Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Excellence from Berklee in 2005.
Global Appreciation to individuals who volunteer their time and talent to further and
advance global awareness of contributions made by people with autism. Presented by Boston Higashi School in Randolph, MA in 1997.
Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997 from Berklee College of Music.
Best Recording of the Month in Stereophile Magazine, February, 1995 for the CD “Two Sides to Every Story”/JVC
Top Ten Albums of 1993 in UPI (United Press Release) poll for the CD “Echoes of a Note”
tribute to Louis “Pops” Armstrong (JVC) Ranked No.5
Best Local Jazz Act, Boston Phoenix/WFNX Music Poll in 1992
Best Jazz & Fusion Group 1988 & 1989, Boston Music Awards
Best Brass & Reed Player 1990, Boston Music Awards
Best Jazz Band, Boston Magazine 1988
Hit Record award, Victor Music in Japan, 1982 for the CD “Tiger’s Baku” and for “Face to Face” CD 1990
What do you do?
I have been playing trumpet for 62 years, and it has given me the chance to travel to many countries around the world. I have recorded leader album on JVC records, and received many music awards. And had the opportunity to perform with worldwide known artists such as Gary Burton, Buddy Rich, Tony Bennett, the Marsalis brothers, Pat Metheny, rock singer Brad Delp of the band “Boston”, pop and R&B groups; The Stylistics, The O’Jays, Little Anthony and Imperials, Franky Avalon, and more.
I’ve been a professor at Berklee College of Music for over 30 years not only for trumpet students but other instrumentalists as well. If a student’s level is good, they can study with me with instruments such as trombone, saxophone, flute, violin, viola, cello, singer, piano, bass, drums, guitar, even harmonica, etc! I love teaching musical vocabularies in improvisation as a kind of musical freedom of speech.
I also teach an Original Fusion ensemble performing all my original compositions. We performed at the Musica Riva Festival in Riva Del Garda in Italy in July 2024.
For me, the trumpet is my brush to paint the air between myself and listeners. My goal may be expanding the canvas without limits… I also compose my own original music which has been played across the world. For example, music used for Japanese TV such as the opening theme song for the Wimbledon tennis tournament broadcasts, and Cabin Cigarette commercials in the 90s.
Also I wrote the school song for Boston Higashi School for students on the autism spectrum in Randolph, MA. The student jazz band traveled to Asahikawa, Japan and performed in a jazz festival where I joined as a guest soloist.
I have been directing the jazz camp called Hokkaido Groove Camp in Sapporo since 2006. During my stay in Sapporo, I visit school brass bands in other towns in Hokkaido, inviting many young talented Japanese students to Berklee, mostly with full scholarships. This is part of my efforts to support the Massachusetts-Hokkaido sister relations, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
I invited Sapporo Youth Jazz School band to Boston in 2014 to perform at the Jazz festival in Boston, Berklee College of Music, Needham High School, Concord-Carlisle High School, and Boston Higashi School. I also started a jazz camp in Castelnovo Ne Monti in northern Italy in 2016.
I am in charge of the Berklee auditions at Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan since 2012. There, I have been giving mini concerts and inviting local high school brass bands to perform. Then I conduct a performance with them on the night before the big auditions every year for the public for free.
In my personal philosophy, I think music proves that we are animals and encourages us to follow our instincts. Music also tells us that there are many more complicated answers in our lives than simply “Yes” or “No.”
A few other proud moments. I received an award from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for my distinguished contributions to better relations between Japan and the
U.S. in 2014. I performed Japanese traditional music “Etenraku” with Kitanodai Gagaku
ensemble in November 2016 representing Japan in UNESCO World Music Festival held in Hamamatsu.
I joined well known classical trumpeter Malcolm McNab in LA in July 2023 as a special guest for his trumpet camp. He was the number one trumpeter in Hollywood who recorded tracks for more than 2000 movies such as Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Field of Dreams, Home Alone, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and much more.
I have published a few books:
Yamaha Etude and Exercise book for trumpet
Berklee Practice Method Trumpet
I also love to draw water color paintings.
What are the benefits and challenges of working in America?
Benefits: Jazz was born here and became one of the unique cultures of the U.S. Its concept of free speech, and the level of musicians are the best in the world. The huge size of the country, made up of many different races offers me my own flexible thinking and gives me the feeling that I can spend my 24 hours a day freely.
What is your favorite thing about Boston?
Boston is a wonderful historic town. I think of old brick houses in Beacon hill. Great universities. A compact sized city with everything close by. Eataly for food shopping. It's an easy drive to jazz cities such as New York or Montreal, plus short flights to Europe and South America. A high caliber of doctors and medical facilities.
I love the beautiful Charles River. Boston Common park where the Japan Festival is held in late April. Eataly again… Boston symphony hall. Fenway Park where I performed the Star Spangled Banner and Kimigayo (Japanese national anthem) during the Red Sox’s play-off games when Matsuzaka was pitching for the team. [video clip]
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