Ken Okada Ft. Yoyoka at SJZ Break Room

Bassist Noriyuki "Ken" Okada was born in New York and raised in São Paulo, Brazil and Yokohama, Japan. Reflecting the fact that he grew up in multiple different cultures, Ken enjoys playing in various styles, from jazz to samba to fusion. He learned jazz when he played in the big band at Keio University as a visiting member from University of Tokyo, where he won Yamano Big Bang Contest, the largest national college jazz competition in Japan. He started playing professionally in Tokyo until he moved to the Bay Area in 2002. Since then he has been performing in jazz combos and big bands with fine local jazz artists such as John Worley, Leon Joyce, Yancie Taylor, Destiny Muhammad, Eric Bolvin and Rick Vandivier in jazz clubs and festivals....

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Bassist Noriyuki "Ken" Okada was born in New York and raised in São Paulo, Brazil and Yokohama, Japan. Reflecting the fact that he grew up in multiple different cultures, Ken enjoys playing in various styles, from jazz to samba to fusion. He learned jazz when he played in the big band at Keio University as a visiting member from University of Tokyo, where he won Yamano Big Bang Contest, the largest national college jazz competition in Japan. He started playing professionally in Tokyo until he moved to the Bay Area in 2002. Since then he has been performing in jazz combos and big bands with fine local jazz artists such as John Worley, Leon Joyce, Yancie Taylor, Destiny Muhammad, Eric Bolvin and Rick Vandivier in jazz clubs and festivals.

When drummer Yoyoka Soma first rocketed into internet stardom in 2018, millions swarmed to her videos, proclaiming her the next big star in rock 'n' roll. Soma, then an elementary school student living in Hokkaido, Japan, seemed to already possess musical sensibilities some adults spend their whole lives training for. Watching her was hypnotic: Music seemed to take over her entire body. Each hit of the cymbal appeared to electrify her limbs, powering the next succession of passionate and coordinated movements. Her expressions bounced from playful to focused, but never strained. It looked impossibly easy for her — even at age 7.

Ken Okada and Yoyoka recently recorded and released their new album, Square One, on Northern Horizon Records.

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