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Ruth Sato Reinhardt: From Chorus Girl to Jazz Momma - Part 2

Read Part 1 >> After 1940, Ruth Sato’s life was transformed, and she shifted her career from showgirl to more serious pursuits. It must be …

culture en

Fluent in Jazz—DJ Yuki Maguire celebrates music that crosses borders

“Hello. Konnichiwa. Bon Jour. Ni Hao. Gutentag. Buenas Dias. Welcome to Yuki Maguire’s International Jazz Hour.” Thus begins Yuki Maguire’s jazz radio show on WUMR …

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Semi-Immersion

ON THURSDAY NIGHT, Nov. 16, 2017, I had a date with my cousin, Diane, to see Kuniko Fukushima sing and play the piano at the Royal …

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Tessaku

Larry Nobori - Part 2

Read Part 1 >> What does the band play specifically? Mainly swing, Glen Miller type stuff. Then I was asked to direct this youth band …

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Tessaku

Larry Nobori - Part 1

If you ever wanted to get a sense of what life actually felt like in camp, look no further than this contraband film from the Nobori …

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Drummer Immersed the World of Jazz – Bernie Arai Is Steadfast in His Pursuit

Is Japanese Canadian Bernie Arai a pioneering jazz drummer? Answering this question during a recent interview, he was quick to say: “I don’t think of …

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Nikkei View

The Ai Kuwabara Trio Project brought a delicious taste of Japanese jazz to Denver

We recently were privileged to enjoy a concert of contemporary jazz by a vibrant young group from Japan, the Ai Kuwabara Trio Project. Simply put, …

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Rie Tsuji on Conquering the Classical World and Touring with Beyoncé

Rie Tsuji is living the life she’s always dreamed of—traveling the world playing music. Oh, and she works for Beyoncé. To trace her journey from …

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Native Sons of Fresno, California Look Back

I’m writing a Densho Encyclopedia entry now on the poet Lawson Fusao Inada. He’s a third-generation Japanese American who was locked up in three different …

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Japan Journal

Jazz in Sendai with Kei Akagi

I recently met jazz pianist Kei Akagi quite by chance. My school recently got a distinguished new student, Masao Honma, a Sendai-based classical music composer. …