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Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Ensemble

[b]Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Ensemble[/b] ([b]ONJE[/b]) was a Japanese electroacoustic improv/free jazz/experimental group directed by a composer, sound producer, turntablist and guitarist [a=Otomo Yoshihide] as an expansion to his [b][url=https://discogs.com/artist/167872]New Jazz Quintet[/url][/b] and preceding an even larger [b][url=https://discogs.com/artist/376530]Orchestra[/url][/b]. Yoshihide initially brought together the 9-piece Ensemble in the autumn of 2001 to record a follow-up to ONJQ's debut album [i][url=https://discogs.com/release/221780]Flutter[/url][/i], which came out a few months earlier on [a=John Zorn]'s New York-based label [l=Tzadik]. The [i][url=https://discogs.com/release/202760]Dreams[/url][/i] CD was published in March 2002 and included four songs by guest vocalists [a=Jun Togawa] and [a=Phew], promoted by Zorn as the "first release outside of Japan featuring two of Japan's quirkiest underground pop stars." In the summer of 2004, the New Jazz Ensemble gave its first live concerts in Japan, performing as a septet with Sachiko M, [a=Alfred Harth] on saxophones, who also became the Quintet's fifth member after Kikuchi left in February '04, and Kumiko Takara (vibraphone). ONJE participated in several European festivals, including Era New Horizons in Cieszyn, Poland and [l287615] in Marseille, France. In 2005, the Ensemble embarked on a largescale tour with nine musicians plus [a=Kahimi Karie] as a guest vocalist, performing 15+ shows in March and May in Japan, France, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and the UK. A few tracks from ONJE's performance at [l294746] festival in northern suburbs of Paris, including [a=Eric Dolphy]'s "Hat & Beard," [a=Jim O'Rourke]'s "Eureka" and [a=Charlie Haden]'s "Song For Che," subsequently appeared on Otomo's 2011 [i][r=2991486][/i] DVD compilation. [b]Initial line-up[/b] (Sept/Nov 2001) [a=Otomo Yoshihide] — electric & acoustic guitars, prepared acoustic guitar [a=Tsugami Kenta] — alto & soprano saxophones [a=Hiroaki Mizutani] — contrabass [a=Yasuhiro Yoshigaki] — drums, trumpet, percussion [a=Naruyoshi Kikuchi] — soprano & tenor saxophones [a=Sachiko M] — sinewaves [a=Tatsuki Masuko] — Yamaha DX7, Roland SH-101, effects, noises [a=Jun Togawa] — vocals, crystal microphone [a=Phew] — vocals [b]Live ONJE septet[/b] (2004) Otomo — guitars Tsugami — saxophones Mizutani — bass Yoshigaki — drums Sachiko M — sinewaves [a=Alfred Harth] — reeds [i][a=Kumiko Takara][/i]܍ — vibraphone ܍ at some shows, [i][a=Phew][/i] — vocals [b]Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Big Band[/b] (July 2004) [i]One live performance at [l=Kyoto University], Kyoto[/i] Otomo — guitars Harth — reeds Tsugami — saxophones Mizutani — bass Yoshigaki — drums Sachiko M — sinewaves Takara — vibraphone [a=Masayasu Tzboguchi] — french horn [a=Ko Ishikawa] — sho [a=Kahimi Karie] — vocals [b]Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Ensemble Film Special[/b] (Nov 2004) [i]One concert, performing a live soundtrack for[/i] "Keisatsukan" [i]silent film at Yurakucho Asahi Hall, Tokyo[/i] Otomo — composition, guitar, misc Tsugami — saxophone Takara — vibraphone, percussion Yoshigaki — drums, trumpet [a=Hirohiko Otsubo] — contrabass [a=Tatsuro Kondo] — harmonica, keyboards [a=Taisei Aoki] — trombone [b]Live ONJE nonet[/b] (March-May 2005) Otomo — guitars Harth — reeds Tsugami — saxophones Mizutani — bass Yoshigaki — drums Sachiko M — sinewaves Takara — vibraphone [a=Mats Gustafsson] — tenor & baritone saxophones [a=Axel Dörner] — trumpet