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Kaoru Azuma was born and raised in Osaka, Japan, and has
been singing professionally for ten years. She started her professional career during
her junior college year singing in prestigious bars, hotels and restaurants in Osaka, Kyoto, and other
parts of Japan.
In 2000, she won the prize of the Kobe Jazz Vocal Queen Contest.
She moved to New York to perform in 2003 and enrolled 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. Kaoru's knowledge and education in music
comes from great singers and musicians such as Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan,
Suzanne Pittson, Kate McGarry, Mike Holober and Scott Reeves in New York.
After receiving her BFA degree and the
Pro Music Award from City
College, Kaoru began
performing in clubs such as the 55 bar, the Cornelia Street Café and others while
collaborating with New York-based musicians.
Kaoru’s 1st CD, "The Water Is Wide" was released in the U.S. and has
had airplay in Belgium and Switzerland.
Kaoru's 2nd CD, "Footprints in New York", was been released in the U.S. and Japan in July, 2008. Her selections are primarily compositions associated with the great jazz masters. Her CD was reviewed and recommended as a Hot New CD for Summer, 2009 by Jazz Improv Magazine in
June 2009. In 2010, Kaoru was selected as a guest vocalist with the Japanese
All Stars from Kobe City in Japan
for the French Quarter Jazz Festival in New
Orleans, where she performed a series of acclaimed
shows.
Throughout she has been known as a remarkable and creative jazz vocalist,
composing original music, writing lyrics on re-imagined instrumental tunes,
doing free improvisation, and contributing unique arrangements to the jazz
canon.
Kaoru was selected as one of the semifinalist for the 10th International
Jazz Vocices 2011 Competition in Klaipeda, Lithuania.
The unit Star In Green with guitarlist, Jesse Forest will release 1st album "Star In Green" in October 2011.
------ Recent performances in the U.S. ------
●Old Meeting House in Vermont / Nov. 10th 20101
●ZINC Bar in New York / Nov. 8th 2011
●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
- CD Release Gig-
●Cornelia Street Cafe in New York / Feb. 24th 2009
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