Saxophonist Benjamin Herman has been fascinated by Tokyo’s hyper-eclectic underground scene ever since his first tour of Japan in 1989. That fascination led him to his latest album The Tokyo Sessions, recorded in April 2025 with Herman’s trio – Thomas Pol on bass and Jimmi Jo Hueting on drums – and a selection of his favorite Japanese musicians, including guitarist and noise legend Otomo Yoshihide and traditional woodwind players Akihito Obama (shakuhachi) and Ko Ishikawa (shō).

The result is a diverse tribute to Japanese music culture, ranging from underground jazz to anime soundtracks and traditional salon music. For this tour, Herman expands his trio with Japanese keyboardist BIGYUKI, who has previously collaborated with Mark Guilliana, Meshel Ndegeocello, Marcus Strickland and Q-Tip.

Benjamin Herman alto sax, BIGYUKI keyboards, Thomas Pol bass, Jimmi Hueting drums

The Tokyo Sessions

Before the concert we will screen The Tokyo Sessions by filmmaker and twin brother Jonathan Herman. This documentary offers insight into Benjamin Herman’s creative process during the recording of his latest album. Jonathan Herman followed his brother and his band from the first ideas to the final takes. Partly filmed at Tokyo’s legendary Studio Dede, the documentary showcases unique collaborations with Japanese artists including Otomo Yoshihide, Tomoaki Baba and Akihito Obama. The Tokyo Sessions premiered on 18 September 2025 at Expo 2025 Osaka as part of the Dutch cultural program curated by Nieuwe Instituut.

Schedule:

19:30 – Screening of documentary The Tokyo Sessions

20:30 – Start concert