Otonowa began as a trio, formed to play at an art gallery in Fairfax, California to benefit for the communities affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster of 2011 in Northern Japan that claimed over 20,000 lives. It developed into a full- in studio recording and outreach, touring project offering spiritual support through music for the affected communities of Tohoku (Northern Japan). Drummer and leader Akira Tana assembled a group dedicated to treasured Japanese folk and pop pieces that were common to them all. And if jazz is indeed, a universal language, then that fact is certainly never more evident than what these talented artists have done with this music. The traditional Japanese songs they perform are re-harmonized, arranged and adapted for the jazz lexicon.

The group known as OTONOWA (SOUND CIRCLE in English) is an inventive and unified ensemble, with a unique perspective on the global jazz landscape. The ensemble features traditional Japanese instruments including the shakuhachi and taiko drums. Akira Tana’s group is a fine example of how music can break down cultural barriers and expose the commonality with us all.

Otonowa comes to Seattle directly from completing a two week tour of Japan commemorating 10 year and 15 year anniversaries of these tragedies in Kumamoto and Tohoku respectively.