Shoya Kitigawa (guitar), Senri Kawaguchi (drums), Masatoshi Mizuno (bass)
This video popped up in my YT algorithm recently, introducing me to Japan's Nankai TRIO. Around the time Senri Kawaguchi hit the drum phaser during her solo (also composing the entire song), I realized I was discovering an incredibly talented drummer and band. Senri has been taking drum lessons since age 6, and by age 8 her current teacher recommended she begin taking lessons from renowned drummer/instructor Kozo Suganuma (whose Wikipedia is entirely in Japanese...and his albums/bands are very hard to find or listen to outside of Japan, I'm realizing). Under Suganuma's wing, she began playing with him and other musicians, which would be the first of her vast and expanding musical projects accompanying her later 'solo' records under her name -- the debut of which Kozo featured on (2013). Like her instructor, she learned and has always played on Yamaha drums; she supported and featured for Yamaha Drum's 50th Anniversary in 2017, sharing the stage with other jazz mavens Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, and Akira Jimbo.
If you haven't figured it out already from the YT video, the band (and most all of Senri's projects) are centered around jazz/jazz-fusion/progressive rock. She has two albums with the band 'THE JAZZ AVENGERS', five albums in 'Kiyo*Sen', four solo albums, three live releases, featured and recorded with Bootsy Collins' 'World Wide Funk' album in 2017, performed at the Super Mario 30th Anniversary concert in Tokyo, etc (lots of et cetera)....she is a busy lady.
Because of said depth, I wasn't really sure what project of hers to post, but figured the album of my introduction ('Antarctica') was as good a place as any, also that it is the most recent (April 2025) recording in her discography and the first/only release of this trio. Just super tight jazz fusion, that effortlessly glides in the heir (c wut I did there) of the greatest bands to do it, while also having its own unique edges and valleys. Both Shoya Kitigawa and Masatoshi Mizuno elevate the musicianship as well, making for my favorite album I've heard so far in her discography (*I definitely haven't heard all of them). I'd also really recommend checking out her two albums under 'THE JAZZ AVENGERS'.
None of her projects have a Bandcamp page, but I know most all are available on the iTunes/music store. Going to take a guess they're also on Spotify. I don't believe any of her releases are on vinyl but CD's are available through Amazon or wherever -- I don't think she has her own website.
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