Aya Takazawa, Jun 21 (Day 1)
Japanese trumpet virtuosa Aya Takazawa comes to town to perform a set of groovy jazz tunes with the big band to kick off the three-day affair. Known for an established, hip sound, she’s joined on this first evening by Hirohama’s own project, 40 Sax Swingin, an ensemble of 40 saxophones all improvising in perfect unity.
Richard Sussman, Jun 22 (Day 2)
Richard Sussman, hailing from the Manhattan School of Music, headlines this night as pianist-arranger. He brings a star-studded resumé, which includes gigs with Lionel Hampton and Randy Brecker. Sussman is joined by Japanese pop singing duo KK Sis, who sing classic big band tunes from their native land.
Alan Chan, Jun 23 (Day 3)
Alan Chan has won numerous awards for his arrangements and compositions, including an award for a composition for a 67-piece orchestra. We get to hear some of his originals with the SNJO. Joining him is Kazuo Oguro, a longtime friend of the SNJO and a multi-saxophone talent.