En route from Sapporo, Japan for their performance at the Toronto International Jazz Festival, three musicians will give a benefit performance at the Eden Mills Community Hall on June 25 at 8pm.
Internationally renowned, and longtime Rockwood resident jazz vibraphonist, Peter Appleyard will join them.
All funds raised from ticket and beverage sales will return with the musicians to Japan to support tsunami and earthquake victims.
Guitarist Shohei Yamaki is one of the featured performers. He was the winner of last summer’s Sapporo International Jazz Festival competition. By the time he had reached his 20th birthday in 2010, he could emulate practically any guitar sound and style that existed.
Yamaki creates sounds evocative of Eric Johnson and Michael Hedges with a bit of Chet Atkins and Leo Kottke. His recent album is North Wind.
The duo Daisuke Maeda (ukulele) and Hideyuki Shimizu (guitar) call themselves fulare pad (pronounced Furaripaddo), meaning wanderer or traveler.
They joined forces in 2005, and have made three albums. The newest is Wind, Wind, Wind. Fulare pad won the special jury prize at the 2010 Sapporo International Jazz Festival competition.
This is the third year the competition’s winners have made appearances in Canada, and in Eden Mills.
Rockwood impresario John Cripton has been a judge at the Sapporo competition for several years and has built the Canadian connection that included arranging for Appleyard’s appearances as a headliner at the Sapporo Festival in 2008.
The Kudo Takuto Jazz Trio donated their 2010 performance to support the Eden Mills Community Club and Millpond Conservation Association. This year, Eden Mills will contribute to Japan’s need for relief. Almost 100,000 people are still living in 2,400 rescue centres after the tsunami.
The musicians will lead an afternoon workshop for youth in Eden Mills. At the Toronto International Jazz Festival they will perform at the Rex Hotel on June 27 at 12:30pm.
Canada Dry, Mott’s, and the Sleeman Brewery are donating beverages to the local event.
The concert is June 25 at 8pm – doors open at 7:30pm – at the Eden Mills Community Hall, at 108 York Street.
Tickets are $25, and can be purchased at the door or in advance at The Bookshelf in Guelph, 519-821-3311 or from Kit Bresnahan, 519-856-1188 or kitbresnahan1@gmail.com.
