Yutaka Shiina | |
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Birth name | Yutaka Shiina (椎名 豊, Shiina Yutaka) |
Born | Tokyo, Japan | 23 September 1964
Genres | Jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
Instrument(s) | Piano |
Website | yutakashiina.com |
Yutaka Shiina (椎名 豊, Shiina Yutaka, born 23 September 1964) is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer.
Shiina was born in Tokyo on 23 September 1964. [1] He had piano lessons from the age of three. [1] From 1982 he studied composition at the Kunitachi College of Music; while still a student, he became a professional jazz pianist. [1]
Shiina joined the bands of Lionel Hampton and Vincent Herring for their 1989 tours of Japan. [1] In the following year he became part of Roy Hargrove's quartet. [1] Shiina was a founding member of the Jazz Networks, and led this band from 1992. [1] He formed his own trio in 1994, initially with bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Masahiko Osaka. [1] This band recorded, as did later versions that contained Veal and Herlin Riley, then Christian McBride and Clarence Penn. [1]
In 1996 the pianist toured Japan with trumpeter Duško Gojković and Europe with drummer Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine. [1] In 2007 Shiina co-led a tour of the UK with trumpeter Damon Brown. [2] The two played together in the UK again, under the leadership of Brown and saxophonist Steve Grossman, in 2012. [3]
John Fordham of The Guardian compared Shiina with pianist Wynton Kelly and commented that Shiina "keeps his virtuosity throttled back and maintains a hip expressiveness by letting insinuations, nuances and implied swing, and the subtle tick of the rhythm section do much of the work." [2]
An asterisk (*) after the year indicates that it is the year of release.
Year recorded | Title | Label | Notes |
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1993 | Movin' Forces | BMG | Trio, with Reginald Veal (bass), Masahiko Osaka (drums) |
1995* | Hittin' the Spirit | BMG | Trio, with bass, drums |
1996* | At the Moment | BMG | |
1998 | United | BMG | Trio, with Christian McBride (bass), Clarence Penn (drums) |
2000* | Happy to Swing | BMG | |
2009* | Walkin' in the Clouds | Space Shower Music | |
2015 | Future Swing | Scene-a Music |
Year recorded | Leader | Title | Label |
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1991 | The Jazz Networks | Straight to Standards | BMG |
1992 | The Jazz Networks | Beauty and the Beast | BMG |
Tomonao Hara | For Musicians Only, Vol. 1 [4] | King |