Jazz Masterclass – Masaru Uchibori

Jazz Masterclass is one of the programmes of the “Jazz-Go-Central, Jazz-Go-Fringe” project, co-ordinated by the Fringe Club and the Saturday Night Jazz Orchestra (SNJO).  Japanese big band arranger Masaru Uchibori will conduct a masterclass on Big Band arrangement for band-members. 

The masterclass will be divided into three parts:

1. SNJO will play the original scores of Take the A Train by Duke Ellington and or April in Paris by Count Basie followed by Uchibori-san’s arrangement.  After listening, Uchibori-san will illustrate the making process and how he come up with such arrangement.
    
2. Uchibori-san will then talk about basic music theory, harmony, rhythm, format and Big Band style.
    
3. SNJO will play different Big Band scores from old swing band to contemporary Big Band with Uchibori-san’s comments.

It’s open to the public to sit-in as audience.  Musicians are also invited to be the participants, bring your own instrument to play together or replacing SNJO member's seat.

In the “Big Band Night - All That Swing” concert on Sat 28 April 2018, SNJO will perform pieces arranged by Uchibori-san. Click here for details.

Reference:

Take the A Train by Duke Ellington:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV8Hj_E8LJc

Take the A Train arranged by Masaru Uchibori:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrjK05-icno

Masaru Uchibori

Masaru Uchibori was born in Tokyo. At high school, he joined the school brass band, and has played trombone ever since.  He was a member of the big band and the brass band at university, learning jazz theory from Mr. Sadao Watanabe and playing trombone in Watanabe’s rehearsal orchestra. 

In 1974, Uchibori received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, and after graduating he returned to Japan, where he works as a freelance arranger of various music genres.

In 1995 he formed the Masaru Uchibori Big Band, which performs monthly.  Since then, he has worked with many bands and musicians, including the Tokyo Union Big Band with Jimmy Scott, the Sharps and Flats Big Band with Helen Merrill, the New Hard Big Band with Carroll Sloan, the Blue Coats Big Band with Salina Jones, the New Japan Philharmonic, the Air Self Defense Force Central Music Corps and the Ground Self Defense Force Central Music Corps.

He has been the judge of many music contests, including the Yamano Big Band Contest and the Asakusa Jazz Contest, and is active in events for amateur bands.  He has released two CDs: WAYNE (2004) and A Dedication To Jazz Giants (2010).
 

Remarks:

• If you are interested in participating in the master class, please select "$150 - Participant" ticket price category. Please bring your own instrument to the Masterclass.  Limited quota, first-come-first served.
• If you would like to attend the master class as an audience, please select "$100 - Observer" ticket price category. Seats are limited, first-come-first served.
• *Fringe Club membership card MUST be presented at the door.
• **Student card/ Identity card MUST be presented at the door.
   

“Jazz-Go-Central, Jazz-Go-Fringe” is financially supported by the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

The content of these programmes does not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Hong Kong Fringe Club reserves the right to change the programmes and performers