Otomo Yoshihide New Jazz Quintet 09-02-24

vr 9 feb '24

Japanese jazz and electronica à la Zorn

What John Zorn means to the New York scene, Otomo Yoshihide means to the Japanese. Like an iconoclast, this guitarist/turntablist tackled the jazz repertoire, always with untold respect, virtuosity and skill.

After more than 100 releases, including eight with his Jazz Quintet, Otomo continues to search for a captivating balance between melodic structures and intense moments of improvisation.

In this, Eric Dolphy is one of his great heroes. The Quintet dedicated a record to Out to Lunch, Dolphy's iconic album.
These days Otomo rarely if ever tours, so seeing him live with his band again is an absolutely unique experience.

Otomo Yoshihide New Jazz Quintet.
Otomo Yoshihide (el-guitar), Ruike Shinpei (trumpet), Osamu Imagome (trombone), Hiroaki Mizutani (double bass), Yoshigaki Yasuhiro (drums)

Otomo in Ghent

Along with American troops, jazz set foot on Japan during WWII. Otomo Yoshihide grew up in that tradition, but also with an ear for indie rock and electronic music.

In the late 1990s and first decade of 2000, Otomo performed frequently in Belgium. He played a legendary concert with Japanorama in Ghent, showcasing both traditional music from Okinawa and pure electronic music with a large group of musicians. His Jazz Quintet also provided fantastic concerts.