12/23,24 "Christmas JAZZ LIVE, 2023　～ Holy Night ～" @Bistro NOHGA

"Christmas JAZZ LIVE, 2023" will be held at Bistro NOHGA on Saturday, December 23 and Sunday, December 24. The Christmas season nights will be enlivened with a wide range of music, from classic Christmas numbers, to tunes that make you want to do a swing dance, to mellow ballads.

There is no charge for the music, and everyone is welcome to come and enjoy it. We hope you will have a wonderful time at Bistro NOHGA for Christmas in 2023.

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[Event summary]
<Dates and times>
　Saturday, December 23 and Sunday, December 24, 2023
　1st performance from 18:00, 2nd performance from 20:10
<Performing artists>
　・Saturday, December 23
　　Vocals／Tamie Kaji、Guitar／Yudo Matsuo, Base／Yasuhiko Hachi Sato, Drums／Ryo Shibata
　・Sunday, December 24
　　Vocals／ AKO (Akiko Miwa), Guitar／Tetsuya Kogure, Base／Hirohito Miyagami, Drums／Rikako Suzuki
<Venue>
　Bistro NOHGA on the hotel's 1st floor (Dinner time: 18:00 - 22:30)

■Music charge: Free

[Profiles of performing artists]

Vocals: Tamie Kaji
Born in Tokyo, Kaji began playing the piano at the age of five. She was raised listening to American music from an early age by her western music-loving parents. She experienced singing in the chorus at her elementary and junior high schools, musicals in high school, and jazz chorus in college, and has performed at live performance venues in Tokyo since she was in school.
Kaji studied under jazz vocalist Mariko Kajiwara and vocalist Miho Takiue, and has been performing at jazz clubs in Tokyo since 2002. Her repertoire includes mainly jazz and bossa nova songs, and she is known for her soft and warm voice. Her first album "My prayer" was released by Ripple sound in October 2018. She has worked as a yoga instructor since January 2012. In recent years, she has often performed with contemporary dancers, expanding her range of expression as a vocalist.

Guitar: Yudo Matsuo
Born in 1977 in Fukuoka, Matsuo later moved to Saga and Kumamoto. He became a big fan of Bob Dylan when he was in junior high school and started playing guitar at the age of 15. He moved to Tokyo to attend the University of Tokyo, and started to play professionally in 2003 after his graduation.
"BONANZA," the first album with Matsuo's band as the featured band, was released in 2012. It was well-reviewed in many places. In February 2018, SONG X label released his second album "Songs in motion" with his quartet, featuring Junichiro Ohkuchi on piano. In November of the same year, he released his first solo album "Atlantic stories" in collaboration with Net Audio magazine. He is highly acclaimed not only as a guitarist but also as a composer. He is currently active in many projects as a featured artist as well as jazz session work.

Bass: Yasuhiko Hachi Sato
Sato began playing piano at age 5, saxophone at age 12, guitar at age 13, and bass at age 15. After entering Waseda University, he began to play contrabass in earnest. He began performing professionally while still a university student. He also studied under Hiroshi Yoshino to learn the basics of the instrument. Through performing with many outstanding musicians in Japan and abroad, he continues to convey the joy, beauty, and freedom of music. He is also an instructor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music and teaches the next generation.

Drums: Ryo Shibata
Shibata was born in Osaka in 1981. He has been familiar with music since childhood and started playing drums at the age of 10, studying under Fumio Emori. After graduating from high school, he enrolled in the Koyo School of Music and Dance and began performing at jazz clubs in the Kansai area while still a student.
In 2003, Shibata received a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston. While a student there, he was selected to be in a student group that toured the U.S. and performed at the JVC Jazz Festival in NYC, Monterey Jazz Festival, and more. Since moving to Tokyo in 2008, he has participated in various groups, tours, and recordings. Since moving to Tokyo in 2008, he has participated in various groups, tours, and recordings, and has also performed at many international jazz festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival. In recent years, he was recommended to perform on the soundtrack of the movie adaptation of Blue Giant, a popular manga about jazz, by the movie's music director Hiromi Uehara (piano).

Vocals: AKO (Akiko Miwa)
AKO was born in Hikari City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. She decided to become a jazz singer after being impressed by Anita O'Day's voice. She participated in workshops and sessions in New York, and received direct instruction from Grammy-nominated top vocalists. She also studied under Kimiko Itoh and Carol Fredette. She released her first album "'S Wonderful" in 2017. In 2023, she received certification in phonetics from "Voice Professionals" held by Sayaka Yasukura Vocal Studio.

Guitar: Tetsuya Kogure
Kogure was born in Chiba in 1971. He started playing guitar at the age of 14. He was fascinated by the musical expressions of great jazz guitarists after encountering their performances and music. He studied under Yoshiaki Okayasu. In 2010, What's New Records released the album "Am I blue?" with Kogure as a featured artist, and in 2011, he performed as the Tetsuya Kogure Quartet plus Yoshiaki Okayasu at the NHK Session 2011. He is highly acclaimed as one of the most buzz-worthy guitarists today. He is currently active in many projects as a featured artist and jazz session work, and actively teaches at his own jazz guitar school.

Bass: Hirohito Miyagami
Born in 1982, Miyagami began playing the electric bass at the age of 15. When he turned 18, he entered the Koyo School of Music and Dance, where he discovered jazz and studied hard. In 2004, he won the Asakusa Jazz Contest Grand Prix in the band division with Koki Ishida on piano, and in 2007, he won the runner-up grand prize as a solo musician at Kobe Next Jazz Competition. In 2014, he moved his base of activities to the Kanto region. He has performed with many other musicians including Mabumi Yamaguchi (tenor sax, soprano sax), Atsushi Ikeda (alto sax), Shigeo Maruyama (vocals), Masahiko Osaka (drums), and Shingo Okudaira (drums). In November 2023, he released his first album "DRAW" as a leader. He also does studio work, such as writing and composing the song "Tabibito" for the TV Tokyo drama "Nihon Boro-Yado kiko."

Drums: Rikako Suzuki
Suzuki was born in Saitama in 1991. She graduated from Shobi University, majoring in drumming in the jazz & pop music course. While at university, she began performing mainly at jazz bars in the Kanto area. After graduation, she has been active not only in jazz, but also in musicals, pop music, gospel, funk, and various other genres. In recent years, she has been focusing on playing percussion as well.
She was a member of Tokyo Brass Style from 2017 to 2019. In January 2019, she and pianist Saki Goto released their first album "ABOUT US!!" as the double-header band Gosakirikako Trio. She is a Bosphorus endorsed artist. Recently, she played percussion in the movie "Hakken to Kokken no Aida ni" released in October 2023.

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*Content and hours are subject to change for the health and safety of our guests. Please check the hotel's official website (https://nohgahotel.com/ueno/) for the latest information.

<Reservations and inquiries by phone> 03-6284-2417 (Bistro NOHGA direct line)