INTERVIEW

  • Feb
Yoshio Suzuki 3DAYS

The 3-Day event in February, which has become a tradition for the past several years, will begin again this year.

 

9th: Special Quartet

This is the second time we have played this combination, and we have reached out to musicians who we feel have a strange but beautiful common sonic space in their sound. This quartet will create a transparent space.

 

10th: BASS TALK

This band has been around for 19 years. In response to requests from fans and members, we started doing reunion gigs a few times a year about two years ago. After all, members who have breathed the same air together for many years can become one in an instant. I feel as if I have returned to my hometown.

 

11th: THE BLEND

‘THE BLEND’ is an ongoing project. An aggressive band that keeps you on your toes from start to finish. Serious game every second of every time. It’s the most fun to do! Even more interesting to listen to!

 

Three bands with completely different aspects, enjoy!

 

Photo:Chika Suzuki

open 19:00 start 19:30

4,400 yen(one drink included)

 

*Reservations (priority entrance at the time of opening) will be accepted from 15:00 on January 2 (tue) by phone (03-3354-2024), at the reception desk of Pit Inn Shinjuku, or through the online ticket reservation form for each performance date on our website.
Reservations will be accepted until the day before the event.

 

9th Special Quartet
Yoshio Suzuki (b), Yosuke Onuma (g), Makiyo Sakai (fl), Ko Omura (ds)

10th BASS TALK
Yoshio Suzuki (b), Shinpei Inoue (fl), Soichi Noriki (p), Yoichi Okabe (per)

11th THE BLEND
Yoshio Suzuki (b), Kosuke Mine (ts), Keisuke Nakamura (tp), Hakuei Kim (p), Tamaya Honda (ds)

 

9th Special Quartet

 

10th BASS TALK

 

11th THE BLEND

http://240209

  • Mar
Kazutoki Umezu - Ohshigoto 2024

Last October, I went on a UK & Ireland tour with KIKI BAND – Kazutoki Umezu (as), Natsuki Kido (g), Takeharu Hayakawa (b), and Joe Trump (dr). This was the first overseas tour for us in about four years. Since there was no local coordinator this time, all communication with each live music club, hotel reservations, and transportation were done by myself and others. This was a real challenge. Compared to the past, e-mail and the Internet must have made things much easier, but the workload has increased. And it’s all at your own risk. The times tell me that I should get used to it, but I highly doubt that I can keep up. To add an extra push, most stores have a PA, but no amplifiers or drums at all times. “Should we rent the amps? That would cost a lot of money. No, but maybe another band will rent it to us…” We went through such days of twists and turns. Even so, the number of audience members grew day by day, and the fact that they cheered for encores at the end of every show was a true blessing for the musicians.

 

Now, in March, the annual Petit Ohshigoto at the Pit Inn. There will be a day when we play “KIKI” acoustically, and we will have a chance encounter with “Tetsuhiro Daiku,” a great star of Okinawan folk music! Then there’s the good-hearted “Komatcha Klezmer”, the “A.K.I. Blues Band,” and for the 14th year in a row, “Tavito Nanao”. Without a doubt, each day of this will be great.

 

There is a great audience waiting for us here, second to none. And Pit Inn has some great equipment that we didn’t have in the UK or Ireland.

 

We look forward to meeting you all.

 

– Kazutoki Umezu

 

photo:Taichi Hashizume

3/10(sun) 11(mon) 12(tue) 13(wed) 14(thu)

 

open19:00 start19:30

 

10th=Advance ticket: 6,600 yen/ Ticket on the day: 7,150 yen

11th、13th= Advance ticket: 4,950 yen / Ticket on the day: 5,500 yen

12th、14th= Advance ticket: 4,400 yen / Ticket on the day: 4,950 yen (one drink included)

 

*Advance tickets (reservations accepted) will be available from 11:00 AM on February 1 (thu) by phone (03-3354-2024), at the reception desk of Pit Inn Shinjuku, or through the online ticket reservation form for each concert date on our website. A priority entrance number is given at the time of reservation.

 

*Admission to the ‘ Kazutoki Umezu – Petit Ohshigoto 2024’ concert will be in the order of ticket number, so if you have already made a reservation for a ticket, please be sure to purchase your reserved ticket at the Pit Inn reception desk.

*Numbers are assigned at the time of reservation.

*Tickets are available for purchase prior to the performance date.

 

Requests to Our Customers

Please be aware that the venue will be very crowded if you try to purchase your ticket reservations shortly before the opening time of 19:00. In order to avoid the congestion and ensure a smooth opening, we will start accepting reserved ticket purchases at the reception desk starting at 18:00. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we would like to ask for your cooperation in purchasing tickets early in the time difference. After purchase, you will be able to enter the venue in numerical order upon your return at 19:00 when the venue opens. Thank you for your cooperation.

 

10th Tetsuhiro Daiku’s Songs

Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Tetsuhiro Daiku (vo, sanshin), Naeko Daiku (ohayashi), Kiyohiko Semba (ds), Daisaku Kume (p, key), Ryomei Shirai (g), Kaori Takahashi (vln), Yoko Tada (sax), Shinobu Kawai (b)

■Tetsuhiro Daiku and Kazutoki Umezu, two treasures of Okinawan shima-uta, produced numerous albums for the off note label in the 1990s and traveled extensively throughout Asia with the Asian Fantasy Orchestra. This chance encounter, which had been too long in coming, was made possible by the enthusiastic “Tetsu-chan calls” from the musicians, which still abound today. A must-see and must-hear evening.

 

11th  ”Acoustic” KIKI

Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Natsuki Kido (g), Takeharu Hayakawa (b), Kenji Sato (cello), Akihisa Tsuboy (vln), Yuriko Mukoujima (vln), Kazuto Shimizu (p)

■The latest version of KIKI BAND’s acoustic project, which is still talked about today, features Kenji Sato, Akihisa Tsuboy, and Yuriko Mukoujima, and is progressively enhanced with the addition of Shimizu’s piano to the skilled string section. How will KIKI’s famous standard number develop? Watch out for the exquisite arrangements made by each of the artists.

 

12th DUO

Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Tavito Nanao (g, vo)

■With each performance, new discoveries are made, new relationships are formed and unraveled, and then brought together again. The two are on a road without a path, forever individual, but also firmly connected. Kazutoki Umezu and Tavito Nanao, the origin of this DUO is right here on the stage of Shinjuku PIT INN.

 

13th A.K.I. Blues Band

Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Yoko Tada (ts), Kazuhiko Fujii (g), Mikio Ito​​ (key), Takashi Nakajo (b), Sankon Jr. (ds)

■The A.K.I. Blues Band is a collection of incredible members who are in demand in the rock ‘n’ roll and blues fields. Since playing a major role in Aki Yashiro’s support band, the group has developed and grown into a free group in which everyone sings and plays. This time, each song will be soulfully dedicated with the utmost respect and gratitude to the great singer.

 

14th Komatcha Klezmer
Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Yoko Tada (sax), Ayumi Matsui (vln), Chan Koyo (acc), Takero Sekijima (tuba), Fumihisa Natsuaki (ds)

■Despite their longevity, Komatcha Klezmer is gaining new fans with their rich sound and the one-of-a-kind worldview of their music. Before the Kyoto-Meihan tour in April, this time the band will be playing as “members only” without any guests, and will also be showing repertoire from their early albums, which have not been performed very often recently.

 

  • Apr
Shinjuku Pit Inn Golden Week Special 2024

Open 19:00 Start 19:30

 

*Reservations (priority entrance at the time of opening) will be accepted from 11:00 AM on March 1 (fri) by phone (03-3354-2024), at the reception desk of Pit Inn Shinjuku, or through the online ticket reservation form for each performance date on our website.

Reservations will be accepted until the day before the event.

 

For reservations for 5/1 (Wed.) to 5/6 (Mon.), please use the following reservation slots during the period of 3/1 to 3/24.

 

◯4/26(fri) Keisuke Nakamura Quintet plays Miles Davis featuring Kei Akagi

3,850 yen

Keisuke Nakamura (tp), Akihiro Yoshimoto (ts), Kei Akagi (p), Motoi Kanamori (b), Tamaya Honda (ds)

■The project ‘Keisuke Nakamura Quintet Play’s Miles Davis’ started in 2021. This time, Kei Akagi, who was the only Japanese member of Miles Davis’ band, will be the guest performer, and the program will focus on Miles’ repertoire from the 60s and 70s. Don’t miss this special session!

 

◯4/27(sat) Dairo Suga Trio

3,300 yen

Dairo Suga (p), Hiroki Chiba (b), Sohnosuke Imaizumi (ds)

■Each member’s individuality will cross over with various fields of music from jazz, classical music to hip-hop and so on, to stimulate your five senses from every angle. Urban yet agitating, minimal yet dynamic. Welcome to the final frontier of true entertainment!

 

◯4/28(sun) Ami Ogaeri Trio New Album “Terasu (Shine)” Release Live

3,300 yen

Ami Ogaeri (p), Riku Takahashi (b), Kaito Nakamura (ds)

■This is the release live of the first album “Terasu (Shine)” (ReBorn Wood Label) with the current members. Please listen to the sound that has evolved through the recording process.

(Photo by Kana Tarumi)

 

◯4/29(mon) Tamaya Honda Bass-less Quartet

3,850 yen

Tamaya Honda (ds), Kosuke Mine (ts), Miyuki Moriya (as), Fumio Itabashi (p)

■In the past few years, the demand from the record industry has led to remarkable reissues of rare Japanese jazz albums. The original version of Kosuke Mine’s first album “Morning Tide” is sold at unusually high prices in European countries and Asia. And Fumio Itabashi, composer of “Watarase,” one of the most famous original compositions in Japanese jazz history. With these two Japanese jazz legends at its core, the quartet is led by Miyuki Moriya, a female musician who most respects Kosuke Mine and Fumio Itabashi, and who has inherited the endless melancholy and energy of Japanese jazz. A baseless but powerful quartet exploring new jazz possibilities.

 

◯4/30(tue) Takeshi Shibuya ORCHESTRA

3,850 yen

Takeshi Shibuya (p, or), Kosuke Mine (ts), Eiichi Hayashi (as), Kenta Tsugami (sax), Ryuichi Yoshida (bs, fl), Osamu Matsumoto (tb), Akihiro Ishiwatari (g), Katsumasa Kamimura (b), Akira Sotoyama (ds), Guest: Hideko Shimizu (vo)

■Takeshi Shibuya Orchestra covers a wide range of repertoire from Dixieland to free jazz. Although they do not have Shibuya’s original pieces in their repertoire, Shibuya’s arrangements are full of magic in every number, expressing the mesmerizing flow of the wavering sounds.

 

◯5/1(wed) 2(thu) 3(fri) Yosuke Yamashita Golden Week 3DAYS 2024

5,500 yen

1st Yosuke Yamashita Special Quartet

Yosuke Yamashita (p), Benisuke Sakai (b), Tamaya Honda (ds), Shinpei Ruike (tp)

2nd Yosuke Yamashita Session

Yosuke Yamashita (p), Motoi Kanamori (b), Takashi Fukuoka (per), Takumi Nakayama (as)

3nd Yosuke Yamashita New Quartet

Yosuke Yamashita (p), Akira Yanagihara (b), Takumi Ogasawara (ds), Yuya Yoneda (as)

■We are pleased to announce that the annual Yosuke Yamashita Golden Week 3 DAYS will be held again this year. Each of the three days will feature a different lineup of performers. Please look forward to it!

 

◯5/4(sat) 5(sun) Toshiyuki Honda 2DAYS

4th=3,300 yen  5th=3,850 yen

4th Toshiyuki Honda・Soichi Noriki DUO CD “Hon No Ri” Release Concert

Toshiyuki Honda (sax), Soichi Noriki (p)
5th BW4(Burning Wave Quartet)

Toshiyuki Honda (ss, as), Soichi Noriki (key, p), Gregg Lee(eb), Shingo Okudaira (ds)

■I am happy to present this year’s annual Golden Week 2-DAYS. Soichi Noriki has been a close friend of mine since the Burning Wave days (as long as I remember), and we have been warming up our sound by having DUO gigs every once in a while. And now, our wish has come true with the release of our collaborative album, “Hon No Ri”. Thanks to the generous cooperation of the Shinjuku Bunka Center, we were able to rent the entire main hall and use two Stanway full concert pianos for this extravagant recording. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the production.

 

The first day of this event will be a live performance to celebrate the release of “Hon No Ri”. With the simplest duo formation of saxophone and piano, we will take you to various landscapes and worlds. Please do not miss it!

 

There is nothing more to say about the second day, the BW4 (Burning Wave Quartet) stage. The band has been on several long tours and is currently in a state of great intensity.

 

The songs from “Hon No Ri” will be arranged for the band. Please join us!

 

◯5/6(mon) THE J. MASTERS

3,850 yen

Kosuke Mine (sax), Shigeharu Mukai (tb), Tomonao Hara (tp), Soichi Noriki (p), Yoshio Suzuki (b), Shingo Okudaira (ds)

■The J. Masters is a special unit that takes the jazz high road! Featuring standards and familiar jazz numbers, this unique group of jazz musicians will perform their superbly crafted, hot, and passionately improvised music.

 

Kazutoki Umezu - Ohshigoto 2024

Last October, I went on a UK & Ireland tour with KIKI BAND – Kazutoki Umezu (as), Natsuki Kido (g), Takeharu Hayakawa (b), and Joe Trump (dr). This was the first overseas tour for us in about four years. Since there was no local coordinator this time, all communication with each live music club, hotel reservations, and transportation were done by myself and others. This was a real challenge. Compared to the past, e-mail and the Internet must have made things much easier, but the workload has increased. And it’s all at your own risk. The times tell me that I should get used to it, but I highly doubt that I can keep up. To add an extra push, most stores have a PA, but no amplifiers or drums at all times. “Should we rent the amps? That would cost a lot of money. No, but maybe another band will rent it to us…” We went through such days of twists and turns. Even so, the number of audience members grew day by day, and the fact that they cheered for encores at the end of every show was a true blessing for the musicians.

 

Now, in March, the annual Petit Ohshigoto at the Pit Inn. There will be a day when we play “KIKI” acoustically, and we will have a chance encounter with “Tetsuhiro Daiku,” a great star of Okinawan folk music! Then there’s the good-hearted “Komatcha Klezmer”, the “A.K.I. Blues Band,” and for the 14th year in a row, “Tavito Nanao”. Without a doubt, each day of this will be great.

 

There is a great audience waiting for us here, second to none. And Pit Inn has some great equipment that we didn’t have in the UK or Ireland.

 

We look forward to meeting you all.

 

– Kazutoki Umezu

 

photo:Taichi Hashizume

3/10(sun) 11(mon) 12(tue) 13(wed) 14(thu)

 

open19:00 start19:30

 

10th=Advance ticket: 6,600 yen/ Ticket on the day: 7,150 yen

11th、13th= Advance ticket: 4,950 yen / Ticket on the day: 5,500 yen

12th、14th= Advance ticket: 4,400 yen / Ticket on the day: 4,950 yen (one drink included)

 

*Advance tickets (reservations accepted) will be available from 11:00 AM on February 1 (thu) by phone (03-3354-2024), at the reception desk of Pit Inn Shinjuku, or through the online ticket reservation form for each concert date on our website. A priority entrance number is given at the time of reservation.

 

*Admission to the ‘ Kazutoki Umezu – Petit Ohshigoto 2024’ concert will be in the order of ticket number, so if you have already made a reservation for a ticket, please be sure to purchase your reserved ticket at the Pit Inn reception desk.

*Numbers are assigned at the time of reservation.

*Tickets are available for purchase prior to the performance date.

 

Requests to Our Customers

Please be aware that the venue will be very crowded if you try to purchase your ticket reservations shortly before the opening time of 19:00. In order to avoid the congestion and ensure a smooth opening, we will start accepting reserved ticket purchases at the reception desk starting at 18:00. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we would like to ask for your cooperation in purchasing tickets early in the time difference. After purchase, you will be able to enter the venue in numerical order upon your return at 19:00 when the venue opens. Thank you for your cooperation.

 

10th Tetsuhiro Daiku’s Songs

Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Tetsuhiro Daiku (vo, sanshin), Naeko Daiku (ohayashi), Kiyohiko Semba (ds), Daisaku Kume (p, key), Ryomei Shirai (g), Kaori Takahashi (vln), Yoko Tada (sax), Shinobu Kawai (b)

■Tetsuhiro Daiku and Kazutoki Umezu, two treasures of Okinawan shima-uta, produced numerous albums for the off note label in the 1990s and traveled extensively throughout Asia with the Asian Fantasy Orchestra. This chance encounter, which had been too long in coming, was made possible by the enthusiastic “Tetsu-chan calls” from the musicians, which still abound today. A must-see and must-hear evening.

 

11th  ”Acoustic” KIKI

Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Natsuki Kido (g), Takeharu Hayakawa (b), Kenji Sato (cello), Akihisa Tsuboy (vln), Yuriko Mukoujima (vln), Kazuto Shimizu (p)

■The latest version of KIKI BAND’s acoustic project, which is still talked about today, features Kenji Sato, Akihisa Tsuboy, and Yuriko Mukoujima, and is progressively enhanced with the addition of Shimizu’s piano to the skilled string section. How will KIKI’s famous standard number develop? Watch out for the exquisite arrangements made by each of the artists.

 

12th DUO

Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Tavito Nanao (g, vo)

■With each performance, new discoveries are made, new relationships are formed and unraveled, and then brought together again. The two are on a road without a path, forever individual, but also firmly connected. Kazutoki Umezu and Tavito Nanao, the origin of this DUO is right here on the stage of Shinjuku PIT INN.

 

13th A.K.I. Blues Band

Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Yoko Tada (ts), Kazuhiko Fujii (g), Mikio Ito​​ (key), Takashi Nakajo (b), Sankon Jr. (ds)

■The A.K.I. Blues Band is a collection of incredible members who are in demand in the rock ‘n’ roll and blues fields. Since playing a major role in Aki Yashiro’s support band, the group has developed and grown into a free group in which everyone sings and plays. This time, each song will be soulfully dedicated with the utmost respect and gratitude to the great singer.

 

14th Komatcha Klezmer
Kazutoki Umezu (sax, cl), Yoko Tada (sax), Ayumi Matsui (vln), Chan Koyo (acc), Takero Sekijima (tuba), Fumihisa Natsuaki (ds)

■Despite their longevity, Komatcha Klezmer is gaining new fans with their rich sound and the one-of-a-kind worldview of their music. Before the Kyoto-Meihan tour in April, this time the band will be playing as “members only” without any guests, and will also be showing repertoire from their early albums, which have not been performed very often recently.

 

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