Benjamin Herman trio ft Tomoaki Baba

Jazz project by saxophonist Benjamin Herman, with Thomas Pol and Jimmi Jo Hueting, inspired by the underground scene in Tokyo, with Japanese saxophonist Tomoaki Baba as guest on this tour.

The Tokyo Sessions is the new project of Benjamin Herman, a jazz saxophonist who plays alto saxophone and here expands his musical universe towards the underground scene in Tokyo. Alongside Thomas Pol (double bass) and Jimmi Jo Hueting (drums), he builds a soundscape in which acoustic jazz blends with electronics and samples.

The recordings were made at Dede Studio in Tokyo, under the direction of engineer Akihito Yoshikawa. Herman gathered several Japanese musicians: guitarist Otomo Yoshihide, a figure in noise music, tenor saxophonist Tomoaki Baba and trumpeter Shinpei Ruike. The album also incorporates traditional Japanese wind instruments, played by Akihito Obama (shakuhachi) and Ko Ishikawa (shō). Back in the Netherlands, the work was completed with producer Jimmi Jo Hueting, and it combines jazz, no wave and free improvisation.

The project is presented as a tribute to Japanese musical culture, ranging from the underground jazz scene to anime soundtracks and Japanese parlour music. On the tour promoting the new album, the trio features the special participation of Tomoaki Baba, a leading figure in jazz in Japan today, the author of the album Electric Rider and a participant in the soundtrack of the animated film Blue Giant. Jamboree is a venue in Barcelona that hosts concerts and shows.