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Tiger Onitsuka


Tiger Onitsuka, born in 1998 in Kyoto, Japan., is majorly recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's youngest professional drummer for releasing his first lead album "TIGER!" from Columbia/Savoy label at 9 years old in April 2008. Tiger started taking jazz drum lessons at the age of 5 from Kazuhiro Nishiyo of Music Labo. He started appearing on stage at 6, and since then he has played with prominent players of both Japan and America. In 2005 at the age of 7, he performed in Harlem, New York and highly praised for having the real black American groove of jazz which reminds of Elvin Jones' play style and he became well known among New York's jazz musicians. Some say that he must be Art Blakey reborn, and some comment that there must be an old Harlem drummer inside him. In 2008, Tiger performed with Eddie Henderson (tp) in New York City and with Marlon Jordan in New Orleans, followed by concerts in Korea, Singapore and Spain with his own band Tiger, Burning Bright. He released his new album "A Time In New York" recorded at Clinton Studio in NY with the two top jazz musicians, bassist Buster Williams and Benny Green. This three generation cross racial trio has completed a successful Japan Tour in 2009. Tiger is the youngest jazz drum instructor at Music Labo, a private music school in Kyoto, and he is leading the experimental courses and workshops for young children and adults aspiring to be jazz musicians. (June 2009)

He has played with;
Hank Jones(p), Mitsuru "Nishi" Nishiyama (b), Terumasa Hino (tp), Eddie Henderson (tp), Buster Williams (b), Benny Green (p), Toshiko Akiyoshi (p), Othello Molineaux (steel drum), Clifton Anderson (tb), Marlon Jordan (tp), John Farnsworth (ts), Henry Franklin (b), George French (b), Takeshi Yamaguchi (g), Osamu Ichikawa (p), Yosuke Yamashita (p), Eiji Kitamura (cl), Kazumi Watanabe (g), Yutaka Sado (Conductor), Sienna Wind Orchestra, Carlton Holms(p), Dwayne Burno(b), Norio Maeda (p), Yosuke Inoue (b), Daiki Yasukagawa (b), Tetsuro Kawashima (ts), Shiho from Fried Pride (vo), Tiffany (vo), Greg Lee (b), Haru Takauchi (g), Mitch (vo, tp) and so on.
Sessioned with;
Lou Donaldson (as), Kermit Ruffins (vo, tp), Delfeayo Marsalis (tb), Bob Cranshaw (b), Paul Jackson (b), Char(g), Jun-Sik Lee (ts), Mike LeDonne (p), Eric Alexander (ts), Ryan Kiser (tp), TOKU (vo, fgh), Mingus Big Band, Evelyn Blakey (vo),

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