Since its founding by Japanese-Americans Dan and June Kuramoto in 1980, Hiroshima has blended jazz, pop and world music with traditional Japanese folk music and instruments, becoming a pioneering voice in world music.
The multicultural quintet has sold more than three million albums and won Billboard and Soul Train awards for its fusion of sounds.
The musicians have successfully blended East and West, playing Western musical idioms with classical Japanese instruments, then rising above the smooth-jazz category with the infusion of energy from salsa and reggae.
Dan Kuramoto has scored the music for more than 50 films, plays and TV shows while June Kuramoto is an expert on the koto, an instrument resembling a zither but with 13 silk strings.
Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags: The six-piece Americana alt-country folk-rock Portland band explores the bipolar nature of love, hate and other parts of the human psyche. They’ll perform with country rockers North Twin and the Maldives.
Kelly Clarkson: The winner of the first “American Idol,” Grammy-winning Clarkson continues to do well on tours and with albums and hit singles.
Ben Harper: Constant touring and many solid albums have created a loyal fan base for his music, which combines some of the best elements of recent blues, singer-songwriters and jam bands. The Grammy-winning soul and rock singer’s most recent recording, “Lifeline,” was called “a thing of beauty” by Rolling Stone.
AM: The award-winning songwriter and L.A.’s Hotel Cafe favorite is touring with music from “Soul Variations.” AM has about 40 songs in film and television and is now supporting Bob Schneider on his winter tour. “Soul Variations” offers melodic pop and folk-rock.
Puffy Amiyumi: The Japanese duo started Puffy-mania with a million-seller in 1996. Since then, they’ve hosted a TV show, inspired action-figure dolls, and turned singles into music for commercials.
Vanessa Carlton: The three-time Grammy-nominated pop singer-songwriter-pianist just released “Heroes and Thieves,” which she calls her first thematic record. The song mix is pensive, upbeat and aching. Carlton is best known for her single “A Thousand Miles” (2002), which made the top-five on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on five other listings.
Out and about: Ginny Reilly (Reilly &Maloney) performs in a solo show (Saturday, Hotwire Coffeehouse, Shoreline) … Great Northern and Robbers on High Street are co-headlining (Monday, Crocodile Cafe). NPR recently featured Great Northern’s “Low is a Height” for its Song of the Day … The alt-rock band Ween, which seems to have been with as many labels as any band in the U.S., returns (Tuesday, Paramount) … Finnish rock (with early heavy metal overtones) band HIM was the first Finnish rock band to have a U.S. gold album (Saturday, Showbox SoDo) …
Popular couple Tuck and Patti offer their take on the Great American Songbook (Tuesday through Thursday, Jazz Alley) … New Found Glory brings its pop-punk music when it joins Senses Fail (Monday, Showbox SoDo) … Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde) is a singer, bassist, poet, sculptor, social activist and soundtrack composer (Thursday, High Dive, Seattle) … Following Southern musical and literary traditions, JJ Grey brings original songs from his album “Country Ghetto” (Tonight, Neumo’s) … Brazilian singer-songwriter CeU released her first U.S. recording last spring, an excellent self-titled recording reflecting her passions for jazz divas, Afro beats, R&B and the blues (Today and Saturday, Triple Door).
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