Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Quintet

Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Quintet (ONJQ) is a Japanese experimental ensemble led by composer, sound producer, turntablist and guitarist Otomo Yoshihide. What John Zorn means to the New York scene, Otomo Yoshihide means to the Japanese, by liberating jazz in a radical way through collaborating with the most diverse musicians and sound artists. ONJQ continues to search for a captivating balance between melodic structures and intense moments of improvisation.

Since 2011, the ONJQ has been giving its own spin on the jazz idiom with free improvisations as well as covers of admired composers such as Eric Dolphy, Charlie Haden and Kurt Weill. The group has collaborated with likeminded players such as Mats Gustafsson, Axel Dörner and Jim O’Rourke. Otomo Yoshihide made name with the groundbreaking band Ground Zero by experimenting with noise, samples, turntables and prepared guitars. In the Tokyo club scene he brought together countless musicians. Parallel to that he celebrates success as a soundtrack composer.

Ruike Shinpei trumpet, Osamu Imagome trombone, Otomo Yoshihide electric guitar, Hiroaki Mizutani bass, Yoshigaki Yasuhiro drums