Ken Okada Group Ft. Yoyoka at Alvas Showroom

San Jose, CA-based bassist Ken Okada began arranging big band charts during his college years in the ’90s in Japan and has been composing music ever since. His work is heavily influenced by Japanese/American jazz fusion, video game music, and modern/contemporary big band sounds.

In 2022, Ken met and jammed with then-13-year-old drumming prodigy Yoyoka. He was instantly captivated by her mature, solid groove and playful style. Without hesitation, he brought in Grammy Award-winning tenor saxophonist Ben Torres and DownBeat Magazine’s Rising Star guitarist Hristo Vitchev for a studio recording session. That single-day session resulted in the band’s debut album Square One, which paved the way for several live gigs, including sold-out performances at San Jose Jazz Break Room in November 2023 and Alvas Showroom in August 2024. The band’s second album Young and Brave, also featuring four-times Grammy Award-nominated pianist Murray Low, has just been released....

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San Jose, CA-based bassist Ken Okada began arranging big band charts during his college years in the ’90s in Japan and has been composing music ever since. His work is heavily influenced by Japanese/American jazz fusion, video game music, and modern/contemporary big band sounds.

In 2022, Ken met and jammed with then-13-year-old drumming prodigy Yoyoka. He was instantly captivated by her mature, solid groove and playful style. Without hesitation, he brought in Grammy Award-winning tenor saxophonist Ben Torres and DownBeat Magazine’s Rising Star guitarist Hristo Vitchev for a studio recording session. That single-day session resulted in the band’s debut album Square One, which paved the way for several live gigs, including sold-out performances at San Jose Jazz Break Room in November 2023 and Alvas Showroom in August 2024. The band’s second album Young and Brave, also featuring four-times Grammy Award-nominated pianist Murray Low, has just been released.

With a dynamic lineup and a shared passion for pushing musical boundaries, the band continues to captivate audiences and carve out their unique space in the jazz fusion world.

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