Senri Oe
“Boys & Girls,” Senri’s first pure solo piano collection, connects the distinct eras in his career as a former Japanese superstar artist in the J-Pop arena, and his current career as a jazz artist. With the new release, Senri brings fresh jazz energy by re-imagining some of his classic pop hits from the 80’s and 90’s. The album also includes two new compositions which reflect a limitless creative future in the genre he has embraced since he shifted gears and moved to New York to study jazz in 2008.
Senri is also slated for performances in Detroit, Michigan at the Detroit Jazz Festival on September 2; and in Boston at Regatta Bar on September 6.
“Boys & Girls” was co-produced by Senri and longtime mentor Junko Arita, a veteran recording and concert producer; and international conductor who was his teacher when he attended the School of Jazz at The New School.
Also a Japan native, Junko was familiar with Senri’s pop star history and was a guiding force as Senri endeavored to create a balance between pop and jazz.
Senri released his first album “Boys Mature Slow,” in 2012 and his follow-up titled “Spooky Hotel” (2013) featured arrangements performed by a full big band.
Senri has long thrived on building relationships with other artists and creating fresh musical collaborations, as he recently produced and arranged a collaborative recording by Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer and famed Japanese Enka singer Mika Shinno.
His ties to the Japanese music and arts scene include writing as a contracted composer for Sony Japan, and working with Japanese singers who would like to follow the path he has pioneered in Manhattan, including highly acclaimed artists Sayuri Ishikawa, Tamio Okuda, Ken Hirai and Misato Watanabe.
For the past seven years, Senri has hosted the radio show “Live Depot” in Japan, interviewing and performing with a wide variety of Japanese and American artists.
Complete track listing for “Boys & Girls” includes:
“10 People, 10 Colors”
“Flowers”
“Never See You Again”
“Boys & Girls”
“YOU”
“A Serene Sky”
“Rain”
“Wallabee Shoes”
“Arigato”
Check out a featurette of the making of “Boys & Girls” below:
