Funato and Chino joined by Terry Day and Shabaka Hutchings playing in different combination across the course of the evening. This will be the first time these musicians have played together.

CHINO SHUICHI (Piano)

Born in Tokyo, Chino has been active in the popular music scene since 1970s, and has been involved in pop-music, jazz and rock groups as a keyboard player, a pianist, and a producer. Chino was also an early member of Otomo Yoshihide's seminal group Ground Zero and has played with many of Japans most important underground musicians. (1972-80: Downtown Boogie Woogie Band, 1982-85: Wha ha ha, 1983-95: A-Musik,1994-96: Ground Zero)

He has also composed music for dance, film and theatre (1980-85: Norio Yagishita Butoh Group, 1985-2007: Dairakudakan Butoh Group, 1995-2007: Ehara Tomoko Dance Company, etc.) and has created sound installations.

Since 2006, he has been organizing numerous workshops about improvised music which include the improvised music festival for two pianos, Piano Buto-kai (2006-7). He regularly organizes 5-60 concerts during a year in Japan and worldwide.

HIROSHI FUNATO

HIROSHI FUNATO is a double bass player of a duo, Fuchigami To Funato from Japan.

You could think of Fuchigami to Funato's music as 'modest J-Pop'. All of their songs are sung in Japanese only. Fuchigami to Funato was born in a tiny bar in Kyoto City 20 years ago. Their melodies come from Japan where the eastern culture and the western influence are chaotically mixed. They deliver the world of everyday life, one’s inner landscape, memories of traveling, favorite songs and melodies.

Their simple set-up with just bass and vocals allows them to shift with unique speed and a sense of improvisation. The music is minimal but at the same time very complex. Fuchigami and Funato's sound gradually began to grasp people’s hearts and the number of their listeners and collaborators has increased.

Nowadays Fuchigami to Funato performs in various venues from tiny bars to big festivals and recently they have started to perform in Europe. They have released 10 albums from their own label.

TERRY DAY

Terry Day was a founder member in 1965 of the legendary People Band, in which he played drums and myriad other instruments. (A double CD of archive material with notes by Day is just out on Emanem). He was also a member of the group Alterations, which included Beresford, David Toop and Peter Cusack. He makes his own bamboo pipes and writes many poems. You are likely to hear both at Café Oto.

SHABAKA HUTCHINGS

Shabaka Hutchings is a young but already very highly rated reeds player, known for his work with Zed-U and with Seb Rochford. He has recently been working with Jack Dejohnette and Courtney Pine.

LINKS

Fuchigami to Funato website
Chino Shuichi website
Terry day website
Shabaka Hutchings on MySpace