Megumi Yonezawa is from Hokkaido, Japan. She began learning classical piano at the age of six. Megumi graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Bachelor of Music. During her time at Berklee, she pursued dual majors in performance and jazz composition. Megumi is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards such as the Jazz Performance Award, Clare Fisher Award and Techniques Endowed Scholarship. After her graduation from Berklee, Megumi received a scholarship from Japan as a trainee of the Hokkaido Cultural Foundation Overseas Artist Training. With her scholarship, Megumi had the opportunity to further her research of jazz music in the United States.

And Megumi received a recommendation from Jason Moran (Blue Note Recording Artist) and became the regular pianist for Greg Osby (Blue Note Recording Artist). She acquired countless performance experiences while playing piano for Greg Osby and his band. She had the opportunity to perform in prominent venues such as The Village Vanguard, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Jazz Standard, Sweet Rhythm, Symphony Space, Blues Alley, Cornelia Street Cafe, Montreal Jazz Festival, Northsea Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival and many others.

Megumi has recording experiences with Greg Osby and renowned jazz artist; Nicholas Payton, Robert Harst, Rodney Green and Joan Osborne in the album titled, “Public” (Blue Note Records).

And as other projects as a sideman, Megumi performs with vibraphonist Mike Pinto’s group “Little Green Men”, a group that is released their first album on Steeplechase Records in 2010. Also she plays in Fresh Sound Recording Artist, Jostein Gulbrandsen group with grammy award winning bassit Phil Palombi and former Jean Luc Ponty sideman Thierry Arpino.

Additionally, Megumi also had been an Artist in Residence at Wildacres in North Carolina in 2010 and 2011.

Currently, Megumi just had a recording with John Herbert (Bass) and Eric McPherson (Drums) as her own trio which is her first leader album and it will be out in 2014.

MEGUMI YONEZAWA PIANIST/COMPOSER

Web: megumiyonezawa.com Contact: megumiyonezawa@megumiyonezawa.com

Audio: http://www.megumiyonezawa.com/html/listen.php

With Yonezawa in particular excelling at preserving whimsical while giving it a thoroughly progressive wrapper.

-Mark Sabbatini, All About Jazz Yonezawa, a talent who deserves greater acclaim, acts like an expert typesetter on phrases, contextualizing them in boldface, italics, underline. - Eric J. Iannelli, All About Jazz Pianist, Megumi Yonezawa who has Monk type of rhythmic and harmonic sense. She success having her own way. Very exceptional. - Eiji Kitazawa, Swing Journal Japan Check out the pianist, Megumi Yonezawa who is a full of surprise. She starts her solo, carefully and leaves spaces, lyrically. It seems like she chooses her every single note with scrupulous care. However, when she builds it up, there is a great surprise. - Shigeru Sugai, Jazz Critique Magazine Japan Yonezawa shone on the piano as she spun out dense solos or nailed down a riveting rhythmic base. - Jory Farr, The Columbus Dispatch Megumi Yonezawa's piano that draws on a multitude of forms. - Elliott Simon, All About Jazz Japanese prodigy, Megumi Yonezawa. - Thom Jureck, AMG All Music Guide There is a remarkable Japanese pianist, Megumi Yonezawa. - You Yamakawa, Jazz Life Japan Yonezawa takes liberties. - Ken Dryden, iTunes Album Review Listen to the young pianist Megumi Yonezawa. Her performance here is a revelation of lyrical dissonance bent to the imperative of swing. - Reviewer, Amazon.com As for Megumi Yonezawa again....wow!!! What a wonderfully complex player she is. This person is somewhat of mix between Matthew Shipp and Cecil Tylor. Hopefully this talent will be heard of much more often in the near future. - Reviewer, Amazon.com

SELECTED QUOTES

"Little Green Men" Michael Pinto Steeplechase, Released in 2010 Michael Pinto, Vibraphone Megumi Yonezawa, Piano Chris Tordini, Bass Garett Brown, Drums "Arigato" Mari Tochi Ind., Released in 2009 Mari Tochi, Vocal Mamiko Watanabe, Megumi Yonezawa, Piano Jostein Gulbrandsen, Hiroya Tsukamoto, Guitar Ben Williams, Moto Fukushima, Bass Francisco Mela, Frenc Nemeth, Drums "Dear and Bare" Kelly Watson Ind., Released in 2009 Kelly Watson, Vocal, Flute Mike Pinto, Vibraphone Megumi Yonezawa, Piano Chris Tordini, Bass Tommy Crane, Drums "Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble" Meg Okura Life Creation 191, Released 2006 Meg Okura Violin, Viola & Vocals YUKARI, Flute Megumi Yonezawa, Piano Jennifer Vincent, Cello & Bass Satoshi Takeishi, Percussion *Dave Eggar, Cello -Tracks 2,4 &7 "Public" Greg Osby Blue Note Records, Released in 2004 Greg Osby, Alto Saxophone Nicholas Payton, Trumpet Megumi Yonezawa, Piano Robert Hurst, Bass Rodney Green, Drums Joan Osborne, Vocal "Songo" Carmen Marsico Beartones Records, Released in 2003 Carmen Marsico, Voice Bjorn Wennas, Guitar Megumi Yonezawa, Keyboard Demian Cabaud, Bass Dennis Frehse, Drums,

DISCOGRAPHY