OAKLAND — Hiroshima will perform next week at Yoshi’s Jazz Club, 510 Embarcadero West in Oakland’s Jack London Square.
The band will debut songs from their new CD, “J-Town Beat,” and copies will be available after each show.
Showtimes: Saturday, Sept. 14, at 8 p.m. ($34) and 10 p.m. ($28); Sunday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. ($24) and 8 p.m. ($28). For tickets, go online to www.yoshis.com/oakland. Reservations can also be made for the restaurant, which is open Saturday from 5:30 to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 4 to 9 p.m.
In 1971, Duke Ellington recorded an album entitled “The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse.” As part of that work, Ellington proclaimed “that whole world was going [Asian],” and that no one would know “who was in the shadow of whom.” The celebrated ensemble known as Hiroshima is the fulfillment of Ellington’s prophecy. In the three decades since they first convened, the Los Angeles-based ensemble of Dan Kuramoto (keyboards/woodwinds/composer/producer), virtuoso June Kuramoto (koto/composer), Kimo Cornwell (piano/keyboards/composer), Danny Yamamoto (drums/percussion), and Dean Cortez (bass) have blended jazz, pop, and rock with traditional Japanese folk music and instruments. The resulting sound was a pioneering voice in the contemporary world music movement of the late 20th century.
Ever evolving, the 2010 Grammy-nominated group, highlighted by the sound of June Kuramoto’s shimmering koto (noted by Stanley Clarke to be the world’s best), creates music and sounds totally unique — with depth, heart and soul. After more than 30 years in the recording industry — and almost 4 million records sold — Hiroshima decided to leave record companies behind and venture out on their own.
On the Web: www.hiroshimamusic.com