Testimonials
The Jazz & Shamisen Quartet represent the best of many worlds! It's the story of 4 musicians expressing their life experiences as one voice. Their music can be complex but always accessible, fun and entertaining. You must see this band!!!
Donald Brown (Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers)
Exciting and entertaining, daring and skillful, a true testament to the universal language of music. Unbelievably cool and fun to witness.
Malvin Massey Jr. (General Manager, WUMR The Jazz Lover Radio FM91.7, Memphis, TN, USA)
Donald Brown (Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers)
Exciting and entertaining, daring and skillful, a true testament to the universal language of music. Unbelievably cool and fun to witness.
Malvin Massey Jr. (General Manager, WUMR The Jazz Lover Radio FM91.7, Memphis, TN, USA)
East Meets West
Fresh and Modern, Traditionally Full of Passion!
Jazz & Shamisen Quartet is made of two brothers who play completely different genres of music. The Maguire Twins (USA) and Sato Brothers (Japan) play their own traditional music of America (jazz) and Japan (Tsugaru shamisen), and yet it sounds fresh and modern when they play together. Their music takes you to many places, beyond borders and eras.
While the shamisen score is written vertical in Japanese music style, jazz has a Western style music score. Thus, the musicians cannot read each other's score. What one can do to prepare is only to listen to each other's sound. However, they have something in common, both jazz and Tsugaru shamisen are improvisational music and they have the freedom to create one-and-only music on the spot.
When you see them play, you know music truly is a universal language.
While the shamisen score is written vertical in Japanese music style, jazz has a Western style music score. Thus, the musicians cannot read each other's score. What one can do to prepare is only to listen to each other's sound. However, they have something in common, both jazz and Tsugaru shamisen are improvisational music and they have the freedom to create one-and-only music on the spot.
When you see them play, you know music truly is a universal language.
Photos |
VideosTsugaru Jongara-Bushi
When The Saints Go Marching In
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Band Member Profiles
The Maguire Twins
Left: Alan Shutaro Maguire (bass, piano)
Right: Carl Seitaro Maguire (drums) The Maguire Twins, Carl Seitaro Maguire & Alan Shutaro Maguire, were born in Tokyo on March 19, 1996. They grew up in Hong Kong going to a British international school. At age 15, they moved to Memphis, TN. There they joined the world renown Stax Music Academy, found jazz and met Kirk Whalum, a Grammy winning saxophonist. That was also where they met Donald Brown, who later became their teacher, mentor and producer. At age 18, they recorded their first album, ‘The Sound of Music’ with Brown as a producer and Whalum as a guest artist.
Their passionate playing style has been capturing the attention of many listeners of music, not only jazz listeners but also those who have no prior knowledge of jazz music. Their performances in Japan and Hong Kong in the winter of 2013-2014 were unexpectedly popular and caught the attention of many local media outlets. Ever since, they frequently perform around various parts of the USA, Japan and Hong Kong. In 2018, they released their second album, ‘Seeking Higher Ground’ with world class artists, Aaron Goldberg(p), Bill Mobley(tp), and Gregory Tardy(ts). Again produced by Brown. In June 2018, the album debuted on the US Jazz Week Chart. It reached #32 and stayed on the chart for 5 consecutive weeks. In Nov. 2018, they had a successful Japan tour. Jazz & Shamisen concert with Sato Brothers had 1,000 audience. The Maguire Twins Website: http://www.themaguiretwins.com/ |
Sato Brothers
Left: Akira Sato (Shamisen)
Right: Yuki Sato (Shamisen) Sato Brothers, Yuki Sato and Akira Sato are Tsugaru Shamisen duo based in Niigata, Japan. Born into a musical family, they grew up listening to Japanese traditional music. Their mother is a professional minyo (Japanese folk song) singer and their father plays taiko (Japanese drum) and shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute).
Akira became a disciple of Rinshoji Kida, a famous shamisen master at age 15. In 2014, Akira won 4th place in All Japan Shamisen Competition. In 2015, he won 3rd place in World Shamisen Competition. In 2016, he was selected to perform at ‘Art Mix Japan’, a Japanese Cultural Festival in Mexico City, Mexico. Meanwhile, Yuki has studied guitar at a music conservatory in Tokyo and toured as a guitarist of a rock band throughout Japan. Later he also became a shamisen player. The Sato Brothers have been active as a duo to perform various places in Japan since 2008. In Nov. 2018, Jazz & Shamisen concert with The Maguire Twins had 1,000 audience. |
Contact （English & Japanese)
Three Tree Initiatives LLC
E-mail: threetreeinitiatives@gmail.com
Tel: +1-901-825-8127
Three Tree Initiatives LLC
E-mail: threetreeinitiatives@gmail.com
Tel: +1-901-825-8127