Yoshimi and Carolina Shout

Sponsored by Bayer Corporation

Yoshimi Fukasawa - Piano

From 1993 to 1996, Ms. Fukasawa was a regular pianist with the Raymond Conde (clarinet)

trio at Ginza Maxim de Paris, and currently plays at piano bar Ginza Orions, where she has

performed for the past 10 years. In1990, Ms. Fukasawa formed the band named “Carolina

Shout,” which started as a trio, performing in Tokyo jazz clubs. In 1998, the band added a

trumpet, trombone, clarinet and sax to become a sextet. The band has released two CDs,

one in 2003 titled, “Three Steps,” and another in 2005, titled “Chokot Concert Live.” After that,

Ms. Fukasawa added the guitar to create more swing. Currently the band plays in sextet or

septet format at jazz festivals and in concerts constantly. In addition, Ms. Fukasawa frequently

joins various other bands for performances throughout the country, and has performed at various concerts and jazz festivals including the Sacramento (California) Jazz Jubilee in 1999; the Kobe

Jazz Street festival in Hyougo, Japan, from 1998-2001; and the Shinjuku Trad Jazz Festival in

Tokyo, from 2002-2007.

Tetsu Shimoma - Trumpet

Tetsu Shimoma has been a trumpeter with Yasuhiko Arima's Dixie Jive since 1976 and also

performs with his own band, Tetsu-Gakudan. He has been invited as a featured trumpeter for

many other bands. Tetsu has appeared at numerous jazz festivals, including Sacramento,

Montsalbat (Australia), Kobe, Shinjuku (Tokyo). In Sacramento, he had the opportunity to play

with clarinetist Chuck Hedges.

Koji Shiraishi - Clarinet

Koji Shiraishi started playing jazz saxophone in his college big band. After graduating, he

played with many big bands, including the Tokyo Disneyland Band. With the Disneyland Band's

focus on Dixie, Koji has been performing mainly on clarinet since then. Currently, he is a

member of Kenichi Sonoda and the Dixie Kings, the most famous Dixieland band in Japan.

He plays with many swing bands, big bands and orchestras as a saxophonist and clarinetist.

He has performed at the Wine Country Vintage Jazz Festival and the Sinjuku Trad Jazz Festival.

Nagome Sakuma - Guitar

Nagome Sakuma began the guitar at age 13 and majored in jazz guitar at Musashino Ongakuin

college. With a commitment to the orthodox styles of George Van Eps and Charlie Christian,

Nagome's powerful cutting with his favorite Gibson L-5 pick guitar (made in 1928) gives a wonderful swing to the bands he plays with, including Carolina Shout and Eiji Hanaoka and Swing Shots.

Festivals he has performed at include Breda (Netherlands) and Kobe (Japan).

Shigematsu Tano - Acoustic Bass

Shigematsu Tano started his professional career at 18. In 1988, he joined the Tokyo Hot Club

Band and has appeared in many concerts and TV shows, as well as recording CDs. He has

toured France, England, Australia and the United States. In 1999, he played at the Sweet and

Hot Music Festival in Los Angeles and, in 2000, in Kansas City, where he received the Honory

Citizen of Kansas City award. Active as a freelance bassist, Shigematsu plays with many bands,

as well as on TV, radio and in musicals.

Hiroshi Hidaka - Drums

In his college days, Hiroshi Hidaka studied with famous drummers Takeshi Inomata and Yasushi Ichihara. After playing wtih many vocalists, he joined Yoshihiro Nakagawa's Dixie Dix and Kei         Tani's Super Market, played in many houses and on TV programs. He also leads his own band            in pursuit of traditional jazz-style drumming. Hiroshi has performed at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee    and other jazz festivals, and has contributed to CDs with Dixie Dix, guitarist Hiroshi Abe and Kiyoshi Kobayashi, and more.