On 23 February, the Junko Onishi Trio visited Copenhagen as part of their European tour, and they gave a concert at Copenhagen JazzHouse. JazzHouse was filled to capacity with jazz devotees and the solos and concerted efforts by the members of the trio were received with great enthusiasm. The trio consists of Ms. Junko Onishi on piano, Mr. Yosuke Inoue on bass and Mr. Eric MacPherson on drums. Ms. Junko Onishi is a famous jazz pianist in both Japan and USA and has released several albums. Mr. Yosuke Inoue has performed in some of New York’s finest nightclubs and has a reputation as an outstanding musician. Mr. Eric MacPherson is a native of New York and has played with the legendary saxophonist Jackie McLean and innovative pianist and composer Andrew Hill.

Mr. Claus Westh from Radio Jazz interviewed the trio before the concert, and they talked about their music and inspiration. The programme will be aired at a later date.

Amongst those attending the concert were H.E. Ambassador Seiichi Kondo and Mrs. Yoko Kondo, H.E. Ambassador Ricardo Concha and Mrs. Jeanine Landerretche, Ms. Yuko Yasui and Ms. Makiko Hirabayashi Nielsen.

After the concert, the guests said that it had been a great pleasure and privilege to hear the famous pianist. It’s very difficult to get tickets for her concerts in Japan and USA as they are quickly sold out. The audience in Denmark was therefore very appreciative of the opportunity to hear the popular Japanese pianist.

Junko Onishi (Pianist)

Born in Kyoto, Japan, Junko Onishi grew up in Tokyo, Japan. After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 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 some of her classmates from Berklee, she was already one of the most promising Japanese jazz musicians, and had valuable experience from working with Joe Henderson, Kenny Garrett, Betty Carter and the Mingus Dynasty.

During 1990-91, she performed and recorded with her trio throughout Japan and in January 1993, she released her first album "Wow" from EMI. 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 of her first album, she soon released her second album "Cruisin'", with Billy Higgins and Rodney Whitaker.

In April 1994, "Cruisin'" was released from The Blue Note in U.S.A. and in May she performed at the Village Vanguard 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 including the Silver prize of Swing Journal Jazz Award "Jazz Player of the Year", "Album of the Year", "Combo of the Year" and "Pianist of the Year". These prizes were voted on by the fans and readers of Swing Journal, and pushed her at once to the top of the Japanese jazz scene.

After her astonishing debut and success, she regularly performed on stage, at recordings, on TV shows and frequently appeared in magazines as the leading jazz pianist in Japan, but after her concert in Osaka in March 2000, she suddenly declared herself ready for a long recreation.

In 2007, she came back to perform on the scene with even more brilliance. Her groovy powerful performance became more sophisticated, and the dynamic expression and skilful techniques of her piano playing fascinated a larger audience than ever. Currently, she is performing both with her own trio and solo.

Yosuke Inoue (Bass/Composer)

Yosuke Inoue was born in 1964 in Osaka Japan. He graduated from Osaka College of Music with a degree in composition. A sensitive and confident bassist, Mr. Inoue has earned a reputation as an outstanding musician and garnered the respect of his peers in the jazz community. Yosuke Inoue has worked with such notable musicians as Hank Jones, Carmen Lundy, Eddie Daniels (Recording for JVC), Terumasa Hino, Cyrus Chestnut, Norman Simmons, Don Friedman, Benny Wallace, George Garzone, Dewey Redman, Junior Mance, David Liebman, Lee Konitz, etc.

Yosuke Inoue made his debut as jazz leader with the album "INSIDE OUT" (Paddle Wheel Records, 1992). His group has performed at some of New York's finest jazz nightclubs, including The Blue Note and Sweet Basil's. In 1997, Yosuke Inoue made his first album as leader under his own name entitled "Speak Up"(Teichiku Records) and toured with the same group. His group also played at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1998. Also in 1998, he made a recording with Hank Jones for Teichiku Records. In 2000, Yosuke Inoue made a second album as leader under his own name and Abraham Burton’s entitled "Drifting Inward" (M&I Records) and toured with same group all over the world. In 2002, Yosuke Inoue made a third album as leader under his own name entitled "Peace"(M&I Records). Yosuke Inoue is currently performing with several of jazz's top artists, including Michael Carvin, Terumasa Hino, Abraham Burton and Matt Wilson.

Eric MacPherson (Drummer)

A native of NYC, Eric McPherson came to prominence playing with the legendary saxophonist Jackie McLean and innovative pianist and composer Andrew Hill. These foundational experiences cultivated Eric into one of the leading drumming voices in contemporary music. He continues the legacy of those musical giants who came before him.