June and July look like a kind of
“mentally and musically occupied months” to be – at least in my book.
A handful of great surprises awaits…
For tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1, Bonz Satoh Quartet kicks off the month of June right (every first Wednesday of the month). “G-Bar” is a Bronx local favorite harmoniously neighbors next to East Harlem across the river, and it is a part of an Italian Restaurant, Giovanni’s. You can take 2, 4, or 5 trains and get off at 149th St & Grand Concourse. Or take a cross town bus, M 19 from West/East Harlem if you are an uptowner. Bonz Satoh 4 is Bonz Satoh on Sax, Akiko Tsuruga on Organ, Luciana Padmore on drums, and Mamiko Taira on vocal.
Monday Jazz at NB Lounge runs from 8PM till 11PM on every Monday, and my regular pianist Toru Dodo will be here the entire month of June except Monday, June 13. I am positive he will be away often in Summer like any other Summer, so be sure to catch us together in June.
Who’s going to play for the 13th? For now, I am undecided, and I may even consider doing solo gig on that day just for fun. (how unusual the occasion would be?) Please come back to this site to check to see if I made up my mind doing it or got someone for that day. OR you will be notified if you add yourself to my mailing list :) Drop me a line: mamiko@mmkmmk.com
Fanfare, please!
On Wednesday, June 22, I will be at Tomi Jazz from 9-11:30PM. For this time, 3 outstanding musicians are with me: Toru Dodo on piano, Steve Whipple on bass, and Tomoaki Kanno on drums. It is a great pleasure to work with them, and I am looking forward to playing at Tomi Jazz.
Besides I had performed in Japan in last year, I haven’t present any performance in my own quartet setting. I believe the last time I had my leader quatert gig in the US was… 2 years ago. It’s about a time, isn’t it? I think so, too.

AND a sneak blurb…
In last year, 2010, on March 3, Yuming Things were held at the Triad Theater presented 16 musical gems from Yumi Matsutoya songbook performed by 4 jazz singers backed with the finest Japanese jazz men in New York. It was a great success that gave us overwhelming responses from audiences to musicians. I, as the project lead, couldn’t decide if this show should give one more shot as the series or just leave it as one time only deal. I gave a lot of thought and decided to do it again, and for this time, I will go with a simple and small, but mighty quartet to deliver our acoustic rendition of Yumi (Arai) Matsutoya music teamed up with Senri Oe as a musical collaborator and Hiroshi Kono of Mar Creation as a production collaborator. In addition, we’ll have Yoshi Waki on bass and Yutaka Uchida on drums to complete the band.
I would like you to mark your calendar on Thursday, July 7 from 7 to 11. More details to come. Please stay tuned. This year’s Tanabata is going to be very special…
June 2011
Mondays, June 6, 20, and 27
@NB Lounge from 8PM to 11PM
with Toru Dodo (piano)
Monday, June 13
@NB Lounge from 8PM to 11PM
TBA
* I may end up doing Solo. Let’s see…
111 E56th Street
(between Park and Lexington Avenues)
New York, NY 10022
No Cover, No Minimum
Wednesday, June 22
@ Tomi Jazz from 9PM to 11:30PM
239 East 53rd Street, Lower Level
(Bet 2nd and 3rd Avenue)
New York, NY 10022
Mamiko Taira (vocal)
Toru Dodo (piano)
Steve Whipple (bass)
and Tomoaki Kanno (drums)