Eijiro Nakagawa
Eijiro Nakagawa is one of Japan’s busiest trombonists being found anywhere from Tokyo’s recording studios, leading his quartet in one of Tokyo’s jazz clubs, or being across the world with his co-led jazz quintet, E’nJ in New York. Eijiro has also recorded and produced his own albums, which have included artists such as Nicholas Payton and the Brecker Brothers.
Being raised in a very musical family, Eijiro started playing trumpet at the age of 3 and trombone at the age of 5. By the time he was 6, he was performing I'm Getting Sentimental Over You in his father's jazz band. At age 15, he recorded his first CD, The Down Unders with Rikya Masuda. Shortly after, he produced his first solo CD in New York entitled Eijiro Nakagawa & Funk 55. Eijiro has also had the pleasure of playing with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Steve Lukather and Dave Holland.
Eijiro co-leads a two-trombone quintet with New York trombonist, Jim Pugh. The group has recorded two CD’s with a rhythm section made up of John Patitucci, John Riley and Andy Ezrin. The first album, Legend and Lion, is currently only available in Japan on the SuperKids label, and their second album, E2’nJ2, will be released in 2005 on the TNC record label in the United States. The group were featured guests at the 2004 Melbourne International Festival of Brass in Australia, have played at the Blue Note in New York City, the Monette workshop in Portland, Oregon, the 2003 and 2004 New York Brass Conference, the 2003 Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington, D.C. and the prestigious 2005 International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in Long Beach, California.
Eijiro is also a highly sought-after classical trombone soloist. Since his solo debut in 1996, performing the David Concertino with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, Eijiro has soloed with the Kosei Wind Orchestra as well as the US Army Band, Washington D.C. (Pershing’s Own). Eijiro was commissioned by Takehiko Gokita in 2004 to write a trombone concerto, entitled Empyrean Convergence.
With the support of Yamaha-Japan, Eijiro has designed his own models of both tenor and bass trombones. Eijiro plays and endorses Monette mouthpieces. (Yamaha)