History of Big Wing Jazz Orchestra Tokyo Japan

　History Of Big Wing Jazz Orchestra

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YEAR	EVENT	PHOTO
1973	The Big Wing Jazz Orchestra was inaugurated on November 1973 by Tasuku Yoshida as an amateur big band in association with YAMAHA. Located in Tokyo.
1974	Historical first performance of the Big Wing was participation of the Shinjuku Jazz Festival held on June 2nd at the roof top of the Mitsukoshi Dept.Store. The band held the 1st year anniversary concert at Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Hall on November.
1978	Kenji Kohama succeeded the leader to Tasuku Yoshida since his transfering to Osaka because of his job.
1988	The band played together with guest player Bill Berry(cornet) on the15th Anniversary Concert. Due to the experience of the performance with Bill Berry the band became inspired to extend its activity to the international level. [Photo : Satoru Oda (Tenor sax) and Bill Berry at Shinjuku Central Park]
1989	The band won the Grand Prize at Asakusa Jazz Contest and as a result was invited to and played at the 13th Manly Jazz Festival, one of the biggest jazz festivals in Australia. The band performances there received standing ovations during the main stage performance. [Photo : at Manly Australia]
1991	The band was invited again to the 15th Manly Jazz Festival in Oct. and held four performances. Above all, the performance in front of thousands of enthusiastic audience members at the final event of the main stage punctured the band successful tour. [Photo : at Manly Australia]
1992	In November of the same year, the band won the Grand Prize at the 1st All Japan Amateur(non-students) Big Band Contest and was awarded an invitation to play at the Monterey Jazz Festival '92 in the USA. [Photo : at Wakura Spa Ishikawa Pref.]
	The Band played at the 35th Anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival,the world Greatest Jazz Festival, with a great success. All the members enjoyed taking pictures with the great artist such asDizzy Gillespie,Loui Bellson,Wynton Marsaris,Bill Berry,Bob Mintzer, Roy Hargrove,Jimmy Smith,Tony Willams・・ [Photo : at The Garden Stage]
	The band also played at the Night Club Stage of the Festival. [Photo : at The Night Club]
	On the way to Monterey, the bandheld a cultural exchange event with a university and a jonior college. At the California State University Northridge, the band played together with Don Menza(Ts) . [Photo : at California State Univ. Northridge]
	At Santa Barbara City College, the band played for the students of a History Of Jazz course.	-
1995	The band played at the final event of the Asagaya Jazz Street '95 in Oct. and was featured as the only non-professional group during the two day festival.	-
1996	The band played at the 1st Sunset Concert held along the seashore of Izumozaki city, Niigata Prefecture in Aug. [Photo : at Izumozaki Sunset Concert]
1996	The band also played at the openning event of the 2nd annual Asagaya Jazz Street '96 in Oct. [Photo : at JR Asagaya Station]
1997	The band was invited to the 16th PENSACOLA Jazz Festival as the 4th overseas performance of the band. The band played at the Seville Square Stage and Cultural Centre Stage on Nov.1 and 2. The band also had a Joint Concert with Loyola University Big Band at New Orleans , Louisiana, the Birth Place of Jazz. [Photo : at Seville Square Pensacola]
1998	The band was played at the 3rd Metropolitan Feast held in Ikebukuro, the band's home land, sponsord by East Japan Railroad group.
1998	25th Anniversary Concert Titled " Thanks To The Giants Of Jazz " " Thanks for 25 Years Support", held on November. [Photo : at Varsity Hall Tokyo]
1999	The band was invited to the 22nd Manly International Jazz Festival as the 5th overseas performance of the band. The band played at the Ocena Front Stage on Oct.02 , 04 and Old Manly Boatshed Restaurant on Oct.03. The band tour was also planned to cerebrate 10th anniversary of international cultural exchange between people of Manly and Big Wing members. [Photo : at Manly International Jazz Festival]
	Metropolitan Square Festival was held twice a year and has became regular event of Ikebkuro. Big Wing always performing as closer of the event. [Photo : at Metropolitan Square Stage]
	The band performed at Asagaya Jazz Streets '99 with guest vocalist Kei Kobayashi, 20 years old talented male vocal. Big Wing is very popular in this festival because the band has invited every year since Asagaya Jazz Streets started in 1995.	-
2000	As one of Big Wing annual gig, there is a "New Year Live at Shinjuku J". It became fifth year in 2000 since start in 1986. 100 audiences or more including standing seeing enjoy every time. [Photo : Jazz spot J Tokyo]
2001	The concert in the Cathedral church was held on July for the first time as Big Wing in Japan. The concert titled "Jazz comes to the church" [Photo : at the Cathedral Church Of St. Andrew's, Tokyo]
2002	The band was invited again to the 25th Manly International Jazz Festival as the 6th overseas performance of the band. The band tour was also planned to cerebrate 20th anniversary of Sister City Committee of Manly and Taito-Ku tokyo. [Photo : at the Ocean front main arena of Manly International Jazz Festival]
2003	The band's 30 years anniversary concert held in October. The splendid harmony, well trained ad-rib solos showed that the band members grew up enough during 30 years. [Photo : at Varsity Hall, Tokyo]
2004	In September, Big Wing performed at the 25th Swing Is Here!, which is the bigband festival hosted by the Society-members bigband league of Tokyo, formed in 1981. This festival was authorized in 1993 by a cosponsorship of the Suginami-ward Bord of Education. As 2004, birth 100 years of Count Basie, five bigbands joined the league performed Basie's work. William Silk (Vocal) and Isao Sakuma(Tp) played as guest musicians. [Photo : at Session Suginami Hall, Tokyo]
2005	In April, Australian global trumpet player James Morrison and the Wollongong Conservatorium Jazz Orchestra visited Japan. Big Wing and Blue Herd "N" Group band planned the one and only consert in Tokyo and held it as "Australia-Japan Big Band Battle". Ex-Mayor of Manly city Australia Joan Thorborn and sister city committee members visited Japan in the same time came to bless this concert together. The concert and reception party put success as Australia friendship event on a day. [Photo : at Kinuta Public Hall, Tokyo]
2006	In December, the Band performed for the first time in it's history at the Christmas dinner show of the Tokyo Bayplaza Hotel.
2007	The band was invited again to the 30th Manly International Jazz Festival as the 7th overseas performance of the band. The festival was also dedicated to John Speight, the festival's artistic figurehead, who died in January this year. Big Wing performed at the Ocean beachfront stage and the Corso stage Sunday and Saturday respectivery. The band also had a joint concert with Manly Selective Campus Big Band at the Fresh Water Campus Music hall on Friday evening. [Photo : at the Ocean beachfront stage of Manly Jazz Festival]