Jazz w. North Pandemic Groove, quartet from Japan, Thurs June 30

Thursday June 30, 2016, 8 pm, $15 reg/$10 students. Book tickets online
Jazz, funk and fusion with jazz festival winners North Pandemic Groove, performing at Artword Artbar as part of their Ontario festival tour. Band members Takezo Yamada (trumpet) (photo right), Taihei Kuroda (drums), Shunsuke Ochi (bass), Kudo Takuto (keyboard/piano) are all in their twenties and come from the northern island of Hokkaido in Japan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpk7PKZcCO8
Every year the winners of the Sapporo Jazz Festival Competition are invited to perform at the Toronto Jazz Festival. In 2016 North Pandemic Groove returns for a second year, with pianist Kudo Takuto joining them. They will perform in the Youth Jazz Showcase in Nathan Phillips Square at 12:30 (noon) on Saturday, July 2. They will also tour Eden Mills June 26, Midland June 29, Hamilton (Artword Artbar) June 30, and Humber College July 1.
In 2015 the group produced its first CD North Pandemic Groove with the support of the Sapporo Jazz Festival. Also in 2015, they performed as the only Japanese artists at the Toronto Jazz Festival. Milton impresario John Cripton has been a judge at the Sapporo Competition since 2009. Of North Pandemic Groove, he says: “The Quartet came first out of 300 participating ensembles. North Pandemic Groove really stood out in the competition. These artists represent the very promising future of jazz in Japan.”