Satomi Yarimizo

This gal took up playing the organ at age three.  By the time she was in her teens she was into writing arrangements for solo & ensemble work as well as taking classical piano lessons.  Then jazz had caught her ear – Herbie Hancock, Antonio Carlos Jobim, etc., etc. - and she took up drums, guitar, alto sax, and bass to better inform herself on how jazz really works.

Since moving to Hawaii a few of years back, she has been wood-shedding behind the Ivories and getting jazz theory down.  When you hear her play, you’ll notice that her piano solos are exquisite and flawlessly executed, but if you’re really astute you’ll notice that she continues to play behind all the other gators soloing – not just an occasional chord or a “plink, plink” – delivering a rich backdrop that compliments the sax/guitar/bass/drums holding forth.

I know only a few jazz pianists who are competent in both solo work and in rhythm section backdrop and I’d rate Satomi as being high on the list of those few.

Check out her new website at http://www.myspace.com/satomijazz or this even newer one: http://satomijazz.blogspot.com.

Satomi is now the leader of her own jazz quartet which holds forth every Saturday at The Dragon Upstairs as well as Sundays at Chuck’s Cellar in Waikiki as a jazz duo with her drummer husband Shinya.  But you will find her more often than not on many other nights on the weekly Honolulu live jazz calendar sitting in as featured pianist with many other of Our Fair City’s fine jazz ensembles.

This woman is very much in demand and increasingly recognized as a fine talent.  Watch out Tashiko Akioshi and Aziza Mustafa Zadeh, this lady pianist is soon going to eclipse you.

  TheOldHipster

Return to

or