Bad News Records ARTIST Junko Onishi

Junko Onishi

Born in Kyoto and grew up in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating from Berklee College, Boston in 1989, she moved to New York and started her career as a Jazz pianist. By the time she came back to Japan and organized her own trio with her Berklee classmates, she was already one of the most promised Japan-born jazz musicians, with rich experiences by working with Kenny Garrett, Betty Carter, Joe Henderson, Mingus Big Band, Mingus Dynasty, and Jackie McLean.

In January of 1993, she released her first album "WOW" from EMI Japan. This album became a best-seller in Japan and received the "Japanese Jazz Award" from Swing Journal which is the most popular jazz magazine in Japan. After the success with her first album, she soon released her second album "Cruisin'", with Billy Higgins and Rodney Whitaker.

In April of 1994, "Cruisin'" was released from Blue Note U.S.A. and in May she performed at legendary jazz club, the Village Vanguard in New York City for a week as the first Japanese artist to perform with his/her own group. In September her memorable performance at the Village Vanguard was released as "Live at the Village Vanguard" and this album received many prizes such as the Silver prize of Swing Journal Jazz Award "Jazz Player of the Year", "Album of the Year", "Combo of the Year", "Pianist of the Year". These prizes were elected by the fans and readers of Swing Journal, and pushed her to the top of the Japanese Jazz scene at once.

After her astonishing debut and success, she performed on the stage, at recordings, at TV shows and appeared on magazines aggressively and enthusiastically as the leading jazz pianist of Japan, but after her concert in Osaka in March 2000, she suddenly declared a long rest and recreation from the scene.

In 2007, she came back to the scene with more brilliance and started to perform. Her grooving and powerful performance became more sophisticated, and the dynamic expression and sure techniques of her piano playing fascinated more audience than ever.

In 2009, she released the first album since 1998 titled "Musical Moment" from EMI Japan. She also got back on the world road again, performing in Europe, i.e. Berlin Jazz Festival in November.

In February 2010, "Musical Moment" was released in EMI France/Blue Note, and her concert in Paris was aired on live at TSF JAZZ.

In March, she signed with Universal Classics & Jazz, Japan and recorded her new album in New York City, the very city where she started her professional career. Accompanied by the first call musicians of her generation like Nicolas Payton, James Carter, Wycliffe Gordon, Reginald Veal, Rodney Whitaker and Herlin Riley, her dynamic and rich acoustic jazz sound are freely expressed. This new album heralds the beginning for her new career phase and surely promises that her music will attract jazz audiences all over the world again.

Discography
As a leader:
WOW - 1993/EMI
CRUISIN - 1993/EMI
LIVE AT THE VELLAGE VANGUARD -1994/EMI
VILLAGE VANGUARD II - 1995/EMI
PIANO QUINTET SUITE - 1995/EMI
PLAY, PIANO, PLAY - 1996/EMI
SELF PORTRAIT - 1998/EMI
FRAGILE - 1998/EMI
MUSICAL MOMENTS - 2009/EMI
BAROQUE - 2010/Universal/Verve

As a side musician:
HAT TRICK / JACKIE McLEAN -1996/EMI
TENOR TIME / JOE LOVANO - 1997/EMI
COOL WOODS / PHIL WOODS - 1999/EMI

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