UNC Jazz Press

(Level IV) "Appassionatamente," by Yoichi Uzeki, was written for the Waseda University High Society Orchestra and was premiered in 2006 to celebrate the group's 50th anniversary. This piece features a unique but great combination of Tango-Millonga rhythm and a classical fugue, which then moves into a more traditional Afro-Cuban 6/8 feel with a straight-ahead feel on the bridge. The fugue is written in the sax section and slowly builds throughout the beginning of the piece. Tempos do not change and the trumpet range is relatively low. 8 Brass

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Yoichi Uzeki, born in Tokyo in 1976, started taking classical piano lessons at the age of four. He started playing jazz in his freshman year at Hosei University in Tokyo.

In 2000, he moved to Richmond VA and started working with flutist, Walter Bell and saxophone player, James Holden. He moved to Philadelphia in 2001 to study at Temple University. In 2002, he recorded Temple University Jazz Band CD "Mean What You Say," which includes his original big band piece "Not a Love Song". In 2003, he arranged "I've never been in love before" performing with legendary saxophonist and flutist Frank Wess at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, performances at Kennedy Center in DC in 2004.

After receiving his jazz performance degree from Temple University, he moved to New York City in 2005. Yoichi continued studying jazz at Queens College CUNY. He received a master's degree and Sir Roland Hanna Award from Queens College. He was an advanced class member of BMI Jazz Composer's Workshop in 2007 and 2008. He has been a pianist of the world-wide known saxophonist and poet, Oliver Lake's big band since 2006.

Currently, Yoichi is a piano faculty member at York College CUNY, an online jazz arranging instructor at Boston University, performing around the world including New York City, Washington DC and Tokyo. He is now providing arrangements to professional big bands such as Brooklyn Big Band led by Tim Armacost as well as school bands. He has performed with Terell Stafford, Oliver Lake, Tim Warfield Jr., Bobby Porcelli, Manny Duran, Ray Vega, Antonio Hart, Michael Phillip Mossman, Alex Foster, Peter Brainin, Michael Hawkins, George Gray, Wally "Gater" Watson, Kim Clarke, Juju Gordon, Walter Bell and many others. Yoichi joined Jamaaladeen Tacuma's band "Coltrane Configurations" in April 2009. Since then, he has also been performing in Europe as the pianist of the band.