yoshiyuki yamanaka jazz tenor tokyo kyoto japan

Yoshiyuki Yamanaka first started seriously playing the tenor soprano saxophone while in college.
He did well enough in his informal studies that he soon got his first series of gigs as a professional jazz musician with Osamu Ichikawa's quartet and Satoshi Inoue's quartet.

Over the past several years, he has played with some finest jazz musicians--e.g.Keiko Lee, Barry Harris,Jimmie Smith, Jimmy Scott, Harman Foster,Earl May and many others--and has toured NYC('78,'98,and'99',01) with gigs at some jazz clubs. His releases on album/CD from Pentatonic Records and Origin Record include the much respected "Blue Rouse","Here's the Song" and the better known"with Barry Harris trio""Dreamin'",and "Great Time" which was selected as the fourth best album in the reader's popularity vote for Swing Journal '97. He was selected as the third best tenor saxophonist in the same vote in '99.

Behind the his success story, he has put much effort to develop and establish his music style. He first tried to emulate John Coltrane as many tenor saxophonists do.
However, in some time, he felt a limit of his music to express what he wanted to express. He looked back the history of jazz tenor saxophone players from Lester Young and studied thier music.
During the study, he was inspired by music by Lester Young,Charie Rouse,Hank Mobley,Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Joe Henderson.

Finally, he has established his own warm and cool music style.

Thomas J.Haslam

RHAPSODY

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Yoshiaki Okayasu (guitar,accoustic guitar)

Akira Shiomoto( guitar)

Teiji Sasaki(Bass) Kenichi Kameyama(Drums)

PENTATONIC　N1003 $18,00 　New Release

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YOSHIYUKI YAMANAKA with BARRY HARRIS TRIO
Barry Harris(Piano)　 Reloy Williams(Drums)
Chuck Israel(Bass)
PENTATONIC　N1002 $20,00　

Recorded at SYSTEMS TWO in Brocklin NY

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Great Time　
Junior mance(Piano) 　Ben Riley(Drums)
Earl May(Bass)
Origin Records 82375　　　$19.00

Recorded at Clinton Studio in NY

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new Dreamin'/with symphonic Orchestra

guitarToshihisa Morita : Masashi Kato : bass * Hideo Kanda : drums * Kenichiro Murata : drums * Hitoshi Ota : arranger

best buy /'99 Swing Journal
Origin Records　82416　　$18.00

Recorded at Fuso Theater, Aichi 1997

KING KICJ267(Sold out)

KING KICJ-267 * SONGS THE BEER, THE FOURTH BOTTLE ( Yoshiyuki Yamanaka ) SO-ME-I-YO-SI-NO ( Yoshiyuki Yamanaka ) I REMEMBER YOU ( Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger ) ASK ME NOW ( Thelonious Monk ) CHARLIE ( Yoshiyuki Yamanaka ) WHEN SUNNY GETS BLUE ( Marvin Fisher ) REMEMBER ( Irving Berlin ) HOT METRO ( Yoshiyuki Yamanaka ) WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR ( Ned Washington, Leigh Harline ) PLAYED BY YOSHIYUKI YAMANAKA QUARTET * Yoshiyuki Yamanaka : tenor sax * Keiichi Yoshida : piano * Teiji Sasaki : bass * Yasushi Hiroe : drums Recorded at King #1 Studio, Tokyo, Nov. 27 & 28, 1995

Blue Rouse
KING KICJ179(Sold out)

KING KICJ-179 * SONGS UNSUNG HIRO ( Yoshiyuki Yamanaka ) EVIDENCE ( Thelonious Monk ) BLUE ROUSE ( Yoshiyuki Yamanaka ) ERONEL ( Thelonious Monk ) LOCOMOTIVE ( Thelonious Monk ) IF YOU COULD SEE ME NOW ( Tadd Dameron ) HACKENSACK ( Thelonious Monk ) NUTTY ( Thelonious Monk ) REFLECTIONS ( Thelonious Monk ) PLAYED BY YOSHIYUKI YAMANAKA QUARTET * Yoshiyuki Yamanaka : tenor sax * Keiichi Yoshida : piano * Teiji Sasaki : bass * Yasushi Hiroe : drums Recorded at King #1 Studio, Tokyo, Aug 28 & 29, 1993