Kazutoki Umezu KIKI BAND [japan/usa]

Zweifellos ist Kazutoki Umezu einer der produktivsten und wichtigsten Bläser, nicht nur Japans, sondern weltweit. Er hat in über 32 Ländern Konzerte gegeben, ist auf Festivals wie Moers, Vilnius, New York, Tokio, Singapore aufgetreten und hat mit einer großen Zahl von Leuten/ Bands gespielt wie Mal Waldron, Lester Bowie, Olu Dara, Oliver Lake, David Murray, Rashid Ali, Peter Brötzmann, John Zorn, Tom Cora, Samm Bennett, Wayne Horvitz, Marc Ribot, B.B. King, Bernard Purdie, Ian Dury & Blockheads, RK2, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Yosuke Yamashita, Yoshihide Otomo, Fumio Itabashi, Masahiko Sato, Hikasu, Tetsuhiro Daiku, Ondekoza. Eine unglaubliche Liste, die zeigt, welchen Stellenwert Umezu als Bläser besitzt, welchen Respekt er unter Kollegen geniesst und letztlich auch seine Lust verdeutlicht, Grenzen aufzulösen, zu experimentieren und zu improvisieren. Alles ist bei ihm in ständigem Fluss, nur der Sound seines Saxofons, seiner Klarinette ist konstant, klar, schön, stark, temperamentvoll und oft voller Humor.
In der Vergangenheit ergründete Umezu nicht nur die Loft Scene New Yorks, jüdische Klezmer-Lieder, Musik koreanischer Mönche oder deutsche Krautrock-Avantgarde, er leitete immer auch eigene Bands, mit denen er Jazz mit rockigen Elementen zu einer Power-Fusion vereinte, genannt seinen hier die Doctor Umezu Band, Diva, Seikatsu Kojou Linkai Orchestra oder Shakushain und aktuell die KIKI Band.
In der aktuellen Besetzung mit dem enorm kraftvoll agierenden US-Drummer Joe Trump (Carlos Alomar, Elliott Sharp) liefern die vier Musiker auf dem neuen Album „Alchemic Life“ eine starke Melange aus Eastern Music, Rock und Jazz. Und das war es dann schon mit der Kategorisierung. Denn die KIKI Band ist letztlich nicht einzuordnen, in Schubladen zu packen. Sie spielen einen absolut cleveren Mix, eine neue Form des Jazz-Rock, der Elemente des progressiven Rock genauso wie ungewöhnliche Beats, wilde Breaks oder ethnische Melodien (gern die Klänge Arabiens) integriert. Doch bei aller Vielfalt bleibt es immer hochenergetischer Jazz!
(Text: Olaf Maikopf)

Kazutoki Umezu is generally considered a jazz musician, but the scope of his playing goes far beyond this characterization, and in many directions. He has played sax and clarinet, often inventively improvising, in a wide range of situations and in more than 30 different countries. Umezu was born and raised in the city of Sendai, and began studying music from an early age. While still attending Kunitachi Music College, he made his first recording with his band Seikatsu Kojou Iinaki. In 1974 he relocated to New York and began playing with musicians like Lester Bowie, Oliver Lake, Sunny Murray, Ted Daniels and Rashied Ali. When he returned to Japan in 1976 he reformed Seikatsu Kojou Iinakai, and recorded two albums. In 1980 he joined the well known rock band RC Succession.
In 1981 he began recording under the name Doctor Umezu, and recorded eight albums under this moniker, the last of which in 1989. During the 80s Umezu performed in jazz festivals, concert halls and clubs all over the world, often with internationally known figures such as John Zorn and Tom Cora. He also maintained membership in other groups, including Third Person, a group which also includes Tom Cora and Samm Bennett, who were also part of his New York based groups Eclectism and First Deserter, groups which also included amongst their ranks Marc Ribot, Dougie Browne, Wayne Horvitz and Curtis Fowlkes.
In the 1990s Umezu became interested in Klezmer music. To play this type of music he founded the eighteen member group called Betsuni Nanmo Klezmer. He has also recorded four albums of Klezmer music.
Umezu also collaborated and recorded with many other musicians, including B.B. King, Ian Dury, Barre Phillips, Peter Brötzman, Don Byron, Bernard Purdie, as well as with legendary Japanese jazz pianist Yosuke Yamashita, guitarist Otomo Yoshide, taiko drummer Leonard Eto, and musicians from Okinawa, Korea, Africa and the Middle East.
Umezu’s most current ensemble is the KIKI Band. This power group features Japan’s most important progressive rock guitarist Natsuki Kido, bassist Takeharu Hayakawa, known from the Dr. Umezu Band, from Shibusa Shirazu, and from Satoko Fujii’s ensembles, as well as Joe Trump, Elliott Sharp’s drummer with Carbon and Terraplane. The high-energy KIKI Band mixes elements of Middle Eastern, progressive rock and jazz music full of unusual beats, wild breaks and stunning ethnic melodies.
KIKI Band's latest release is the live album "Alchemic Life" (2008) and is out on Nottwo Records.