Kenji Lancaster Ensemble: KAZOKU

($20-$30 Tickets + DICE fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows) Kazoku, led by drummer Kenji Ono Lancaster, is a new project that pays homage to the drummer’s family and Japanese roots. The band premiers music written by his grandmother, Yoko Ono (not THAT Yoko Ono), that emphasizes themes of peace, life, and family.

Inspired by the textures and arrangements of artists such as Mei Semones, Ravel, and Ambrose Akinmusire, the music blends vocal folk melodies within the contexts of a rhythm section and strings.

Vadana Hegde (vocals) Kai Kawamura (violin) Morgan Valencia (cello) Eric Nakanishi (alto) Alex Oliverio (guitar) Colin McIlrath (pedal steel) Alassane Diarra (keys) Max Beckman (bass) Kenji Lancaster (drums)

KENJI LANCASTER

Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Kenji Ono Lancaster is a drummer and composer with a thoughtful, interactive, and sensitive approach to music that has proven valuable both in and beyond the jazz idiom.

Kenji is an alumni of the Tucson Jazz Institute, which brought him to both the Monterrey Next Gen Jazz Festival as well as the JEN Festival New Orleans. During his collegiate career at the University of Arizona, he studied with Arthur Vint, and had private instruction with Kenny Washington and Kweku Sumbry. In university & conglomerate jazz ensembles, Kenji has had the opportunity to support touring artists such as Gerald Clayton, Christian McBride, Mike Moreno, Terell Stafford, and Alex Norris.

Post-academia, Kenji has continued to cover vast swaths of musical ground, with his recorded music being featured on BBC6 Radio. As well, his original composition, “Tired”, was featured on Radiofrance’s FIP. He has also opened for international acts Echo & the Bunnymen and Glass Beams. Locally, he has supported a host of artists including Nick Finzer, Chuck Redd, Eric Alexander, and many others.