Since moving to the United States in 1995, Eri Yamamoto has established....

Pianist/ Composer
Since moving to the United States in 1995, Eri Yamamoto has established herself as one of jazz's most original and compelling pianists and composers. Jazz legend Herbie Hancock has said, “My hat’s off to her… already she’s found her own voice.”

The Eri Yamamoto Trio, featuring bassist Dave Ambrosio and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi, has developed a unique sound and repertoire, and has built a strong following in New York and abroad. Recent tours include performances in the U. S., Europe, and Japan, with appearances at major festivals in Cheltenham, England; Terrassa, Spain; Bray/Derry, Ireland; Time Zones in Bari, Italy; and Shiga, Japan. Eri has also been collaborating with such creative and celebrated musicians as William Parker, Daniel Carter, Hamid Drake, Federico Ughi, and Yves Levelle.

Eri recently composed trio music to accompany the 1932 silent film by the master director, Yasujiro Ozu, I Was Born But… This music was premiered in a festival in Munich, Germany in 2009, and five of the songs appear on her new AUM Fidelity CD, In Each Day, Something Good. These tracks are complemented by five more songs inspired by her life in New York City and experiences playing her music abroad.

Eri has also developed a unique voice as a solo pianist, and has moved audiences with her renditions of her own compositions and her spontaneous improvisations. She recently completed a nine-concert solo tour of Italy to popular and critical acclaim.

Eri was born in Osaka, Japan, and began playing classical piano at age three. She started composing when only eight years old, and studied voice, viola, and composition through her high school and college years. In 1995, she visited New York for the first time, and by chance heard Tommy Flanagan performing. She was so inspired by her first experience of a jazz piano trio that she decided on the spot to move to New York and dedicate herself to learning jazz.

Later that year, Eri entered the New School University's prestigious jazz program, where she studied with Junior Mance, LeeAnn Ledgerwood, and Reggie Workman. In 1999, while still in school, she started playing regularly at the Avenue B Social Club, a popular spot among jazz musicians in the East Village. There she developed a musical friendship with fellow pianist Matthew Shipp.

Since 2000, Eri's trio has been appearing regularly at Arthur's Tavern, a historic jazz club in New York's Greenwich Village. In addition to her European performances, she has recently performed at the Hartford International Jazz Festival, An Die Musik in Baltimore, and Lincoln Center Summer Festival in New York City.