Yuto Mitomi: Fostering A Collaborative Environment
A shining example of Mitomi's songwriting process, capturing human energy that emerges when immersed in a collaborative setting, is his improvised arrangement "Grappling Cats" from Epicycle. He explains, "This track is actually a free improvisation. I probably just counted in the tempo then started playing without any sheet music."
"I don’t remember the exact details at this moment," he muses, "and it’s quite difficult to explain how I approach free improvisation. However, I think my intention was to create a musical conversation while keeping the tempo, maintaining agile movement, and building up the music direction."
The spontaneous banter, confluence, flexion, and interplay of Mitomi and his partners: pianist Takahiro Izumikawa, bass player Moto Fukushima and drummer-percussionist Keita Ogawa, simulates the exchanges listeners experience in a day of their lives. The stimulation and interfacing has a genuine vibe, which listeners can relate to instinctively.
He recalls, "I don’t remember exactly when I first met each of them," Takahiro Izumikawa, Moto Fukushima, and Keita Ogawa. He supposes, "Some, I met at jam sessions while others I connected with through musicians’ hangs after concerts or somewhere along the way. They are all Japanese, but I met them individually in New York over the past decade."
"Takahiro and Moto," he cites, "were part of my previous album [Imaginably], so I was hoping they could join this one as well."
"As for Keita," he singles out, "I had talked with him several years before the recording, telling him that I hoped he would join one of my projects in the future. But meanwhile, COVID changed my plans."
"Through those sessions," he remembers, "I was impressed by their creativity and felt strongly that this should become a recording project rather than just a jam session. Luckily, as COVID restrictions eased, Takahiro was able to return to New York from Japan, and that was when this project truly started to take shape."
The pandemic, stretching from 2020 to 2021, proved to be a period of spontaneous creativity for Mitomi, as he discusses how the final track "Same Sky, Same Night" from Epicycle came together, providing, "I wrote this piece during a period when we had just started to emerge from the worst of the pandemic. Although things had improved, I still couldn’t fully resume my activities, and I often felt discouraged."
"One night," he recollects, "I stepped outside, looked up at the sky, and felt the familiar air of the night—the same sky I had always known. That moment gave me a sense of calm and the strength to move forward again."
He surmises, "This feeling resonated with the journey of creating this album. It made me reflect on the timeless beauty and dignity of nature, and I felt that this piece would serve as a fitting conclusion to the musical journey of the album."
"There wasn’t a specific arrangement process," he admits, as he examines, "technically, we just rehearsed with the tempo slightly shifting on cue. But I asked the musicians to play as if they were walking forward with strength and to make sure their voices were fully expressed through the performance."
"Same Sky, Same Night" is another shining example of human energy that emerges when collaborators are unleashed to channel their inner thoughts and voices. The allure of the music is penetrative and entrancing, rousing the cerebral sensors.
The press release for the recording stipulates, "The title Epicycle refers to a geometric model used to explain the variations in speed and direction of the apparent motion of the Moon, Sun, and planets. The album title was derived from the layers in which various musical backgrounds, rhythms, and harmonies organically overlap and develop, resembling some kind of design."
In Mitomi's estimation, his sophomore release Imaginably sparked the idea to create Epicycle, as he describes, "Imaginably was a different type of project—it was mostly a collection of cover songs and standards that I played in a duo with guitarist Yuto Kanazawa, under the name Utopia. It was also a collaboration with Yuto, where we shared our musical preferences and experiences."
"That collaboration," he reflects, "was a huge learning experience, as working with different musicians opens up many possibilities and allows me to explore details more deeply. I believe that experience naturally influenced Epicycle as well."
Epicycle's creative designs are crafted from the collaborative environment fostered by Mitomi and his partners, interacting and responding, using the dexterity of their minds and hands. Mitomi's dexterity proves to be a key component in his live settings, as he is a regular performer at Tomi Jazz since 2016, a renowned jazz club in New York City.
He regards, "Tomi Jazz is a very small, speakeasy-style bar, and I like how the audience is so close, allowing me to feel their reactions in real time. I value the moments when the energy of the musicians and the attention of the audience come together to create a vibe that can’t be felt anywhere else in live music."
Born in Niigata and raised in Yokohama, Japan, Mitomi moved to New York City in 2011. His leap into playing the saxophone, moving to New York City, and contributing to the jazz forum are, like his music, instinctual, as he professes, "Honestly, I don’t often think about it, but I was probably drawn to the sound of the saxophone—especially the tenor saxophone. Its range is similar to my voice, though slightly higher, and I was captivated by its unique timbre."
He highlights, "The saxophone has a quality that feels very human, balancing the warmth of soft woodwinds with the strength and boldness of brass. Its ability to shift between these characteristics made it endlessly fascinating to me."
"About one or two years after I started playing the saxophone in middle school," he imparts, "my parents bought a John Coltrane compilation album for our family’s music collection—not because they were into jazz, but simply because it featured the same instrument I played. They said, 'This is a saxophonist’s album,' and that was my first time listening to jazz music. It left a lasting impression on me, although I didn’t quite understand it at the time. It opened the door to an entirely new world of sound."
Relocating to New York City, he graduated with a BFA in Jazz Program from the City College of New York. He observes about the transition, "When I came to New York City, I found that musicians are expected to present their originality and identity—who they are and where they come from, not just in terms of nationality but also in their musical background. This environment made me more aware of my own musical identity and how my background shapes my sound."
He discerns, "This is one of the biggest differences I feel compared to the music culture in Japan. In Japan, there tends to be more emphasis on accuracy and the recreation of traditional or typical jazz sounds. The approach values precision and faithfulness to established styles, whereas in New York, there is a stronger expectation to develop a personal sound. I like both styles, though."
His foray into creating original works came earlier, as he chronicles, "My first original composition was probably around 2009 when I led a quartet residency at Asagaya Manhattan, a long-established jazz venue in Japan."
"However," he illustrates, "I began composing in earnest after graduating from college in 2015, especially during composition and arranging classes with Mike Holober, a Grammy-nominated pianist, composer, and big band leader. His guidance had a significant influence on my approach to writing music."
"When I compose music," he assesses, "I try to avoid being overly influenced by specific musicians or pieces. I think this mindset comes from my time in Mike Holober’s class, where I was able to systematically study the styles and forms of various jazz composers. As a result, I’ve been able to draw inspiration from a wide range of music, blending different styles with my own ideas. Of course, I have been influenced by many jazz musicians—especially compositions by tenor saxophonists."
Like everything in his life from becoming a saxophonist to playing jazz and writing original scores, taking on the role as a leader was instinctual. He admits, "I didn’t exactly decide to be a leader myself (lol). In a way, I think it’s fate for a jazz saxophonist—many legendary saxophonists have led their own bands and pushed the music forward."
"That said," he notes, "I wanted to express my musical experiences and influences through an album, and over time, some of the musicians I admire joined me in creating music together."
"That’s what I enjoy most about being a leader," he shares, "bringing together great musicians, shaping a collective sound, and discovering unexpected perspectives through collaboration."
Previous to being a leader, Mitomi performed as a sideman, a role that prepared him to be a responsive and effective leader, as he regards, "One of the key lessons I learned as a sideman is the importance of clear direction, rehearsals, and scheduling in helping musicians feel comfortable and ensuring they have a clear goal in mind. When everything is well-prepared, sidemen can record with confidence, and the process runs smoothly."
"However," he considers, "I also realized that this approach can sometimes limit the potential for unexpected creativity."
"On the other hand," he proposes, "if a leader provides only minimal instructions and leaves some aspects unresolved before recording, sidemen might feel a bit uncertain. But in that situation, everyone works together to complete the music, often leading to results that go beyond what was originally imagined."
"As a leader," he appraises, "I’ve applied this lesson by finding a balance. For this recording [Epicycle], I chose not to define everything too strictly. Instead, I trusted the musicians and allowed space for creative ideas to emerge naturally, fostering an environment where the music could evolve in an organic and unexpected way."
Mitomi has enjoyed being an independent artist but the independence is predicated on bearing certain challenges. "When people hear this question," he prefaces to his response to what are some challenges he faces as an independent artist, "I think many would mention financial challenges, and I would say that applies to me as well. However, I believe that being independent essentially means existing somewhere between flexibility and instability, and maintaining that balance is the most important challenge."
"Having flexibility doesn’t mean you can accomplish everything," he clarifies, "and on the other hand, if you move too much toward stability, your creative activities may eventually dry up. I see finding and maintaining this balance as the key challenge."
"Over the years," he ascertains, "I’ve continued to develop as a musician and composer by staying true to my own creative path. I feel that I grow the most by pushing through difficult situations and finding a way to make things work. Completing this album was one of those experiences—I was able to bring it to release thanks to the support of many people."
He ruminates, "I hope to be the kind of long-standing musician and composer who continues to create with fresh ideas while maintaining originality. That’s what I believe in, for myself."
"I don’t really have many activities outside of music (lol)," he reveals, "but I would say that checking out live performances is something I enjoy. Not only jazz, but also classical concerts and broadway shows are fun for me."
Mitomi's instincts have proven to be a guiding light, steering him along the unpredictable path of being an independent artist. A course fraught with challenges that call upon him to be adaptable, confident and reliant on his instincts. His trust in his instincts and his collaborators is the driving force propelling his creativity. Fostering a collaborative environment does not look to technology but to harnessing human energy, the truly key component in Mitomi's music.
Artist Website: https://yutomitomi.com/about
All photos supplied by Yuto Mitomi and used with permission.
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