MIHOKO (piano)
Mihoko is a Japanese native jazz piano performer, composer, and educator. She holds B.M. with magna cum laude from Berklee College of Music at where she studied with Joanne Brackeen and met Jazz piano legend, Harvey Diamond (disciple of Lennie Tristano). She studied with him after graduating.
Her music has been inspired by many of jazz giants, especially Art Tatum, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, and Mulgrew Miller. Ravel, Debussy, and Poulenc are also her favorites as she was trained with classical music.
She has been performing in the U.S. and Japan in various venues and festivals with various bands including Latin jazz group and salsa bands, and small settings such as duo and solo. She performed Mary Lou Williams Concert at Union United Methodist Church as a part of Jazz At Union series. In 2010, a debut CD whose content is five originals and two standards was released and air-played on the NPR and Japanese FM. Sheila Jordan, a legendary jazz vocalist, commented,
“You play beautiful with a deep soul.”
Her piano trio on the CD (Thomas Hebb on bass, Yoron Israel on drums) toured in Japan in 2010.
Mihoko is a resident pianist at the Langham Boston since September 2013 as well as actively performing at many other places in Boston and NY.