Album Notes

A native of Osaka, Japan, Yasuyuki Takagi (call him “Yaz”) was influenced by the sounds of jazz at a very early age. As a child, Yaz listened to both the music of his native homeland as well as his father's jazz collection. Gradually he began listening to artists such as Bob James, Dave Grusin, The Crusaders, Earth, Wind & Fire, Grover Washington Jr. and other American jazz artists. And while his friends were listening to the energy and power of rock'n roll, it was David Sanborn's music that led him to pursue the saxophone as his instrument of choice. Subsequently, upon entering Japan's Kochi University Yaz began to study the saxophone while working towards his Bachelor's Degree in Education.
After graduation, Yaz worked through the day as a social worker in Osaka while studying saxophone with Tetsuyuki Miya and theory with Sadayasu Fujii. As his passion for jazz grew stronger through time, he began to play with jazz groups and sat in on some of his teacher's gigs, as well. At this point Yaz decided that he wanted to continue his jazz studies abroad and moved to New York in April, 1992.

After moving to New York, Yaz was impressed with the higher level of musicianship and began to lose confidence in his own abilities. Feeling that his own ability was inadequate to pursue a career as a professional musician in New York, he decided to return back to Japan. However, with only a month left before his scheduled return home, he met a fellow saxophonist who encouraged him to stay and pursue his dreams.

Hence, he decided to stay in New York and began studying with Rob Scheps while working as a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant. As time passed, he continued to work at night and practice during the day until he was able to switch to a day job, thus leaving his evenings open for music. When he lost his day job as the result of the September 11th tragedy, Yaz became a full time musician, formed his own group and became a regular feature with the New York City Transit Authority's "Music Under New York" series.

Yaz’s decision to pursue music on a full time basis was truly a wise one as his popularity has soared since he made the decision to continue with his music. The release of his two CDs (“YAZ” in 2003 and “You Can’t Say It in Public” in 2005) have been well-received by both the critics and public, alike. Equally as impressive is the fact that his group has gained further exposure and recognition “above ground” as they have performed abroad in Seoul, Korea in both 2003 & 2004 as part of the Music Under New York in Seoul performance series and in cities well beyond the New York metropolitan area. Yaz has also performed as part of Lincoln Center’s “Out of Doors” Festival and at the historic Minton’s Playhouse, both in New York City. Additionally, audiences have had the pleasure to hear his energetic and soulful playing at many venues throughout the metropolitan area. Yaz’s popularity has soared to the extent that he has also appeared on television in his native Japan and New York City’s smooth jazz radio station WQCD, better known as to New Yorkers as “CD 101.9”.
Were Yaz to have left New York or stay as he did would not have changed the underlying fact that he is a talented musician driven by his passion to play with intensity and excitement. As one of his colleagues once remarked while watching Yaz perform: “No one works a crowd harder than Yaz!” The only difference is that those in New York have had the firsthand opportunity to see him play before the rest of the world catches on to the abilities of this amazing saxophonist, composer and performer!
It is with great pleasure that we offer this new release by . . . Yasuyuki “Yaz” Takagi!