A native of Osaka, Japan, Yukiko plays the Japanese Koto. Although classically trained, the music she enjoys playing these days is a wonderful mix of East meets West cultures. It’s definitely not what comes to mind when one imagines traditional Koto music.

The band features Diana Dentino on keys, Vince VanTrigt on bass, Voyce McGinley III – drums & percussion with Special Guests: Munyungo Jackson – percussion, & Greg Vail – sax & flute. Tom Kurai will be opening the show.

Musician bios:

Greg Vail
An extraordinary contemporary jazz musician, Greg has toured & recorded with some of the hottest names in jazz & pop including Natalie Cole, Michael McDonald, Al Jarreau, Rick Braun, Peter White, Josh Groban, Smokey Robinson, Earth Wind & Fire & Greg Adams.

Diana Dentino
Performed live and/or recorded with a variety of artists including Peabo Bryson, Kitaro, James Ingram, Jeffrey Osborne, George Duke, Oleta Adams, Sheena Easton, John Secada, Jody Watley, Regina Belle, Deniece Williams, Jennifer Paige, Kilauea, and Jon Anderson.

Voyce McGinley III
Voyce McGinley III tours with Grammy Award winning recording artist, Kitaro. Voyce has also performed with some of the most notable names in show business, including Airto Moreira & Flora Purim, Cirque du Soleil, Clarke Terry, Deniece Williams, Ellis Hall, Eric Burdon, Karen Briggs, & Stevie Wonder.

Vince VanTrigt
Hails from the Netherlands. His funky bass playing can be heard and felt with numerous bands in the LA area. His soulful feel has made him a sought after session player as well.

Munyungo Jackson
Has recorded & performed with Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Kenny Loggins, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, the Zawinul Syndicate, George Howard, Ronnie Laws, The Temptations, Four Tops, The Supremes, Marcus Miller, & dozens of others, including numerous ethnic music & dance troupes.

Yukiko Matsuyama
Yukiko Matsuyama bridges eras and cultures. Her compositions for koto and western instruments delve into a joyous and celebrative blend of world and pop music. She delivers the sounds of the ancient 7th century instrument with authority and grace while managing to infuse elements of jazz, pop, new age, and world music into her mesmerizing compositions.

Born in Osaka, Japan, Matsuyama was classically trained at the Ikuta School of Koto from age 9. She received her professional certification and teaching credential in 1986.

In 1993 Matsuyama came to Los Angeles and began composing original music, blending the traditional sound of the koto with western music. She has released three original recordings, Kazaguruma, Tsubomi, and Koto and is working on her fourth CD scheduled for release in late 2009.

Matsuyama has performed with a diverse array of artists including the Paul Winter, John York (The Byrds), Rei Aoo Dance Planet, Hirokazu Kosaka, Billy Mitchell, Tadashi Namba, Akihiro Ito, Hirotaka Ogawa, Diana Dentino (Kitaro & Peabo Bryson), Koji Nakamura, Dave Iwataki (Hiroshima), Mike Bennett (Hilary Duff), & Dr. Reed Gratz (Buddy DeFranco).

She’s performed at the Japan America Theatre, the John Anson Ford Theatre, the Grand Canyon National Park, LACMA, the Huntington Library, and many music festivals, cultural and community events, universities and schools. Matsuyama also performs several times a year in Japan.

A 13-string zither or harp, the Koto is Japan’s national instrument.

Discography:
Kazaguruma – 1999 Tsubomi – 2003 Koto – 2003 Crème Brulée - 2009