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Pianist/ Composer
Since moving to the United States in 1995, Eri Yamamoto has established herself as one of jazz's most
original and compelling pianists and composers. Jazz legend Herbie
Hancock has said, “My hat's off to her... already she's found her own
voice.”
Eri's tenth leader album, life, that is a generous new collection of
unique songs, performed with her longstanding trio partners, bassist
David Ambrosio and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi. As the album title suggest,
the music portrays a wide range of her
experiences- from joyful to introspective, reflecting the vibrancy of
New York City and exploring mysteries of nature and memory. The Eri
Yamamoto Trio has developed a unique sound and repertoire, and has
built a loyal following in New York and abroad. They have toured the U.
S., Canada, Australia, Europe, and Japan, with appearances at major
festivals.
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Eri has also developed a personal voice as
a solo pianist, and has moved audiences with her renditions of her own compositions and her spontaneous improvisations.
Eri was born in Osaka, Japan, and began playing classical piano at age
three. She started composing when only eight years old, and studied
voice, viola, and composition through her high school and college
years. In 1995, she visited New York for the first time, and by chance
heard Tommy Flanagan performing. She was so
inspired by her first experience of a jazz piano trio that she decided
on the spot to move to New York and dedicate herself to learning jazz.
Later that year, Eri entered the New School University's prestigious
jazz program, where she studied with Reggie Workman, Junior Mance, and
LeeAnn Ledgerwood. In 1999, while still in school, she started playing
regularly at the Avenue B Social Club, a popular spot among jazz
musicians in the East Village. There she developed a musical friendship
with fellow pianist Matthew Shipp.
Since 2000, Eri's trio has been appearing regularly at Arthur's Tavern, a historic jazz club in New York's Greenwich Village.
Eri has also been collaborating with such
creative and celebrated musicians as William Parker, Daniel Carter,
Hamid Drake, Federico Ughi, Yves Leveille and Paul McCandless. Eri has
appeared on five William Parker recordings, and has performed in the
U.S., Canada, Italy, Holland, Norway, Tunisia, Portugal an South Africa
with his trio and sextet.
Finally, Eri is a gifted educator. She received her master of music in
education and composition from Shiga University, Japan. She has taught
private lessons and workshops to jazz musicians of all instruments from
the U. S., Japan, Europe, and North Africa.
eriyamamoto.com eri@eriyamamoto.com
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QUOTES
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“My hat’s off to her. She’s found her own voice.”
-Herbie Hancock, pianist
"4-Stars. Firefly
reaffirms Yamamoto's standing as a contemporary pianist of the highest
order. While [she] has a deft sense of harmony and note selection, not
to mention sheer chops, her virtuosity never gets in the way of playing
it straight from the heart.
－Daniel A. Brown, DownBeat
"Yamamoto’s
insistent rhythmic savvy [is] allied to a deep soulfulness. Bassist
David Ambrosio once again demonstrates his keen melodic sensibility and
propensity for surefooted commentary, while drummer Ikuo Takeuchi
combines invention and drive into one elegant package."
－John Sharpe, The New York City Jazz Record
"[Her]
trio has been together almost a decade and has levels of telepathy that
are enviable. This is a band that consistently generates a sound of joy
without falling back on many jazz cliche´s. It’s hard to imagine a jazz
trio with more magic at its fingertips."
－Will Layman, PopMatters
"There
are virtues in Yamamoto’s music that are rarely heard elsewhere. One is
the depth of rapport with a rhythm section that has gigged with her
regularly for over 13 years, making whole a steady stream of new
compositions from her prolific muse. Another is Yamamoto’s ability to
evoke ephemeral feelings and concepts with such precise intonation."
－Britt Robson, JazzTimes
"Eri
Yamamoto, who gracefully bridges the worlds of postbop and free jazz,
surveys her warm, evocative songs without words in the company of
bassist Dave Ambrosio and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi on Firefly, her
typically elegant and understated new full-length."
－Time Out New Yorkhhh
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