Nobuki Takamen
Jersey City, New Jersey, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
''an excellent improviser in his own bop-inspired style'' - Scott Yanow
''... a keen sense of melody and taste.'' - Jazz Guitar Life
''... prodigious technique... strong and lyrical melodies akin to James Taylor's, which sink into the mind, inviting subconsious lyric-writing from even the most casual listen.'' - AllAboutJazz
''With an energetic feel, strong sense of melody and a command of his instrument and the genre, Takamen and his quartet are at their best throughout this captivating live performance (Live at the Iridium).'' - Guitar International Magazine
''... a mature player with keen sense of composition, considerable technical skills...''
- Vintage Guitar Magazine
Discography
Three Wishes (August 2012, Summit Records DCD-594)
Live at the Iridium (Summit Records DCD-547)
FROM NOW ON (What's New Records WNCJ-2192)
Bull's Blues (What's New Records WNCJ-2168)
Photos
Bio
Guitarist Nobuki Takamen was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1977. Jazz historian Scott Yanow describes him as ''an excellent improviser in his own bop-inspired style.'' John Heidt of Vintage Guitar Magazine has also called him ''a mature player with keen sense of composition [and] considerable technical skill.''
A mainstay of the New York jazz scene, Nobuki leads his own group which has toured in the USA, Canada and Europe, and appeared at jazz festivals and clubs including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Blue Note NY, Smalls, Bar Next Door and Iridium Jazz Club. He has also toured annually throughout Japan since 2004.
Nobuki has made two albums as a leader for What's New Records. Both his first release, Bull's Blues (2006) and his second, FROM NOW ON (2008), featuring his quintet, quartet and trio, are comprised entirely of his original compositions. His third album, Live at the Iridium, released on Summit Records in 2010, presents a complete, uncut performance from a set at Iridium Jazz Club recorded two weeks after his first Canadian tour in 2009.
After touring with his trio in Japan in 2011, Nobuki recorded his first guitar trio album, Three Wishes. This upcoming fourth album, featuring his new compositions written for guitar trio, is to be released on Summit Records on August 14, 2012.
Besides leading his group, Nobuki frequently performs solo and has performed solo concerts at various venues including the Montreal International Jazz Festival as part of 100% Guitare in 2009.
Nobuki endorses Acoustic Image Amplifiers, Raezer's Edge Speaker Cabinets, Eventide, Reunion Blues and Taylor Acoustic Guitars.
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