Benjamin Herman trio + Tomoaki Baba

Ever since his first tour of Japan in 1989, Benjamin Herman has been fascinated by Tokyo’s music scene. This is evident on ‘The Tokyo Sessions’, where saxophonist Benjamin Herman, together with bassist Thomas Pol and drummer and producer Jimmi Jo Hueting, delves into that world once again. The album was recorded at Studio Dede in Tokyo, with guest appearances by, amongst others, noise guitarist Otomo Yoshihide, tenor saxophonist Tomoaki Baba and traditional wind instruments such as the shakuhachi and shō. Back in the Netherlands, Herman and Hueting processed the recordings using analogue synthesisers, samples and subtle overdubs. The result is an album in which jazz is blended with noise, electronic music, anime soundtracks and Japanese salon music, without it becoming a mere collection of disparate styles. During this concert, the trio will be joined by tenor saxophonist Tomoaki Baba. His energetic playing can be heard, amongst other things, on his album ‘Electric Rider’ and in the soundtrack to the animated film *Blue Giant*, in which his saxophone forms the musical voice of the main character, Dai Miyamoto.