Children’s Song
composed by Shota Watanabe
Shota Watanabe (Pf)
Ikuto Shimizu (Gt)
Shota Watanabe
Born 1988, Nagoya, Japan
Starting classical piano from age four, Watanabe grew up with the musical influence of his father, guitarist Norio Watanabe. As a teenager, Watanabe became interested in jazz and in 2003, started to study under Donny Schwekendiek.
Watanabe started performing music in public from 2004, joining the jazz funk band ‘Akamon’ in 2005. From 2009 he devoted himself to playing jazz, participating in many tours with bands such as the Wataru Hamazaki Quartet, Kaoru Tsubakida Quintet, noon and the Hideaki Kanazawa Trio.
In 2010, Watanabe took part in the recording for the album “Once upon the summer time” by Japanese singer “noon”, performing at Tokyo STB, Osaka Billboard and Blue Note Nagoya, on the recording release tour.
Shota Watanabe currently performs with his own band, in addition to providing musical support in a wide range of music genres to various other artists, mainly in the Tokyo and Nagoya areas of Japan, as well as nationwide.
Ikuto Shimizu
A Jazz guitarist/composer/instructor
Born 1987, Gifu, Japan
Ikuto Shimizu began playing rock guitar at sixteen and became interested in jazz at eighteen. He entered the Koyo Conservatory of Music.
In August 2010, Shimizu moved to Boston where he studied on a scholarship at the Berklee College of Music. He studied under musicians and instructors such as Mick Goodrick, David Fiuczyinski, Jon Damian, Bret Willmott, Tim Miller, John Wilkins and Bruce Saunders, whilst learning harmony, improvisation and ensemble from Dave Santoro, Hal Crook, Ed Tomassi and Joanne Brackeen.
During his time in Boston, Shimizu performed with his own trio, Sideman. He graduated from Berklee in 2012, at the top of his class. After graduation, he moved to New York where he studied with his mentor, Gilad Hekselman.
Since returning to Japan, Ikuto Shimizu continues his musical endeavors in the Tokai region.
