Yoko Miwa, Jazz Pianist

Originally from Japan, now currently residing in Boston, Yoko Miwa was a student of Minoru Ozone (the father of world renowned jazz pianist, Makoto Ozone) and is now a critically acclaimed, active international jazz performer, recording artist, and educator, who has performed in major cities throughout the world at jazz clubs, concerts, clinics, tours, on live TV and radio broadcasts and in festivals. She has released two CDs on major labels in Japan, Yoko’s debut CD as a leader Yoko Miwa “In the Mist of Time” was released in 2001 on the Tokuma Label. Yoko’s second CD The Yoko Miwa Trio “Fadeless Flower” was released in 2003 on the Polystar Label. Her performance and recording credits include Slide Hampton, Arturo Sandoval, George Garzone, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi, Kevin Mahogany, John Lockwood, Ed Calle, and Mike Turk. Yoko was the personal accompanist for Grammy Award Winning Jazz Singer Kevin Mahogany while he lived in Boston. She performed with her own trio 3 nights a week in The Prudential Center regularly from 2001-2003. In addition to being a featured performer in Ryles Jazz Brunch, she also held the piano chair in the critically acclaimed Ryles Jazz Orchestra and can be heard on their CD release “ Live at Ryles”.

In May 2001, Yoko was honored as a featured performer in Washington D.C. at The Kennedy Center’s "Mary Lou William's Women in Jazz Festival". Yoko brought her own trio to Japan in July of 2003 for a tour to support her second CD release “Fadeless Flower” where she performed in major cities Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe.

In a 2001 CD review, legendary Jazz DJ and critic James Isaac’s wrote: “...Yoko Miwa demonstrates a full command of the inner-directed, post-Bill Evans piano idiom, which also takes in the work of Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, and Steve Kuhn. She amply displays her burgeoning talent as a writer of melodically inviting, impressionistic material, as well as introducing a technically assured soloist with a clean, singing sound and an occasional penchant for the blues in pastels.”

In July 2004 The Village Voice wrote: “Young mainstream piano trio aim for clean sound, delicate balance, inconspicuous beauty.”
~ Tom Hull

Yoko has appeared on “Eric in the Evening” WGBH Jazz Radio Show with host Eric Jackson. Yoko’s CD “Fadeless Flower” has been featured on the National Public Radio Show “Jazz After Hours”. Yoko was featured in a live interview on the popular radio show "Voice of America" broadcast in over 250 countries worldwide.