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Kyoko Oyobe

KYOKO OYOBE pianist, composer, arranger

The Japanese-born pianist, composer Kyoko Oyobe has been a mainstay in the New York jazz scene since 2005. She started playing piano at the age of four. At the age of 17 her mother started inviting famous Japanese musicians, such as Terumasa Hino to give concerts at their home. At the age of 19 she was greatly inspired by a live performance of Kensaku Tanikawa and began playing jazz piano. In 2000 she started traveling to New York. She studied under Frank Hewitt, Jean Michel Pilc and Gil Coggins. In October 2005 she moved to New York and it didn’t take long for Kyoko to make her mark. She started performing with her own group at New York City’s renowned jazz clubs, such as Smalls Jazz Club and Fat Cat. In December 2008 she made a live recording of her original music with the group, Kyoko Oyobe Trio at Smalls Jazz Club that gave birth to the album, “Cookin’ at Smalls” released in 2009. In July 2014 she made a recording with her quartet, Steve Wilson, Matt Wilson and Michael O’Brien. The new album ” Happy Silence ” is released on May 22nd 2015.

Since then she has been performing and composing internationally with such notables as Chris Parker, Tom Harrell, Victor Lewis, Steve Wilson, Matt Wilson, Greg Osby, Gene Jackson, Bill McHenry, Francois Moutin, Clifford Barbaro, Joe Magnarelli, Sophie Alour, Sylvia Cuenca, to name a few. She has headlined at many well-known jazz venues in New York, such as the Blue Note, Smalls Jazz Club, The Kitano, Garage, 55 Bar, Fat Cat, Sofia’s, etc. In Japan, she is also known for touring regularly with her trio at Body and Soul (Tokyo), Left Alone (Ashiya), Speak Low (Hiroshima), New Combo (Fukuoka), Renaiss Hall (Okayama) and many others. In October 2011, Kyoko had a special three-week French tour in which she was invited to share her music with French female artists throughout many Jazz clubs in Paris. Her prowess as a superlative jazz pianist is recognized internationally by musical peers who regularly invite her to accompany them.

For the past six years she has been composing and arranging for her trio with Michael O’Brien and Clifford Barbaro with who she plays regularly in the New York area and also tours with in Japan. As her musical compositions evolved, she recently crafted a new vehicle for her prolific writing and arranging skills with The Kyoko Oyobe Quartet featuring Steve Wilson, Michael O’Brien and Matt Wilson; an open and adventurous musical collaboration that render a magical performance.

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Album Review

Kyoko Oyobe: Happy Silence

Read "Happy Silence" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Molto attiva nei club di New York, la pianista giapponese guida da un paio d'anni un quartetto che in questo CD è nella formazione originaria, con Steve Wilson, Michael O'Brien e Matt Wilson. Dal 2014 a oggi ha avuto modo di compiere un tour in Giappone con Chris Speed ospite e il suo attuale organico è formato da Seamus Blake, Francois Moutin e John Riley. Pianista di formazione classica, Oyobe s'è avvicinata al jazz all'età di 19 anni ...

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Album Review

Kyoko Oyobe Trio: Cookin' At Smalls

Read "Cookin' At Smalls" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza


Kyoko Oyobe brings an eclectic presence to her music. As a composer, she finds inspiration in mainstream jazz to which she adds her own classical music perspective. As a pianist, she condenses her thoughts and then lays them out impressively. She does not lose her sense of place or time when doing so, and her instincts are strong enough to let the tunes flourish and make their presence felt.

When Oyobe moved to New York she established herself performing in ...

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"Kyoko Oyobe plays piano staggeringly gorgeous and deeply emotive" by New York City Jazz Record

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Happy Silence

Self Produced
2016

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Cookin' At Smalls

Self Produced
2010

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Happy Silence

OYOBE MUSIC
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