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Kaoru Azuma was born and raised in Osaka, Japan, and has been singing professionally for five years.
She started her career as a singer in a jazz bar at her junior college
year.
After her graduation, she began her professional career through singing
in prestigious bars, hotels and restaurants
in Osaka, Kyoto, and other parts of Japan.
Kaoru Azuma's knowledge and education in music come from great Japanese
musical teachers; Mari Shinonome:
a jazz vocalist in Japan, Kuniko Isono: a classical singer in Japan and
Lois Winter a professor of music in Mannes.
She also took lessons from Mark Murphy a jazz vocalist in the United states in the summer of 2000.
In 2000, she won a prize of Kobe Jazz Vocal Queen Contest.
She realized that to get to the heart of the music, to understand the culture in which it was born and to master the nuances of the language,
she had to coutinue her studies in New York City, the capital of jazz.
In 2003, Kaoru enrolledn in the jazz studies program at the City College
of New York,
where she became immersed in the study of jazz theory, history, arranging,
English diction, improvisation and vocal technique.
The melting pot of New York City changed her profoundly; according to Kaoru
"it opened my mind and let me know who I am."
She discovered herself and had a story to tell through her music.
After receiving her BFA degree and Pro Music Award from City College, Kaoru
began performing in clubs around New York , but the needs of her family
have drawn her back to Osaka.
Kaoru's 2nd CD, "Footprints in New York," is her dedication and farewell to the city that taught her so much about
American jazz.
Her selection are primarily compositions associated with the great jazz
masters.
This CD has been released in the U.S. and Japan in July 2008.
Currently, she's been working as a teacher in schools and performing in Japan and the U.S
Her CD release gig at Cornelia Street Cafe in New York was held and succeeded on Feb. 2009.
Her CD was reviewed and recommended as Hot New CD for Summer 2009 on one of the famous jazz magazine in New York,
Jazz Improv Magazine(page 76) on June 2009.
She has been known as a remarkable creative jazz vocalist.
------ Recent performances in the U.S. ------
●Cornelia Street Cafe in New York / Apr. 15th 2010
●French Quarter Festival in New Orleans / Apr. 10, 11th 2010
●Snug Harber in New Orleans / Apr. 8th 2010
●Yippie Museum in New York / Jan. 6th 2010
●55 Bar in New York / June 1st 2009
●Cornelia Street Cafe in New York / Feb. 24th 2009
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