BIOGRAPHY
Pianist Miki Hayama was born in
Kyoto, Japan. She began to play piano and Wadaiko (Japanese
drums) when she was 6 years old. She studied classic piano at
the Osaka
College of Music and studied
jazz piano with Sadayasu Fujii at Fuji Jazz school.
She is the first prize winner of Yokohama Jazz Competition.
Originally from Kyoto, Japan, pianist Miki Hayama has been busy making quite a respected name for herself on New York's jazz scene since 2003.
She has become pianist on call to work with some of the greatest in the world, including Grammy Winner alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, Grammy Nominee jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, drummer Ralph Peterson, and even the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin. Her own 2006 sophomore release Prelude to a Kiss received a five-star rating in Swing Journal. Her newest album Wide Angle got Swing Journal's Gold Disc Award in March 2009, Best Production Award in January, 2010.
In 2007, she was chosen as an feature artist and musical director of the First Annual Japanese Festival in Central park " Japan Day". In 2009, She also performed at African American Church Presidential Inauguration Ball in Washington DC.
Currently she plays Gospel with choir every Sunday at the Cathedral United Baptist Church in Bronx, and along with her own group and others, she works at the Grammy Nominee jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon Band and tours world wide.
Drew high praise from the New York Times, and interview and frequent airplay from WBGO, and enthusiastic support from some of jazz's master musicians.
" Miki Hayama is an amazing young pianist with great chops, a great harmonic concept and a great imagination ! " piano master Kenny Barron recently observed. " This young lady, born in Kyoto, Japan, swings as if she's Harlem grown. Colorful and creative, her style is both aggressive and sensitive.." drumming legend Victor Lewis adds. High praise, indeed, and a sign that her star is on the rise !
Miki Hayama has performed and shared at the stage with GrammyAward winning alto saxophone player, Kenny Garrett, and Grammy Nominee vocalist, Nnenna Freelon , Aretha Franklin (vo), James Spaulding(a.sax), Joe Ford(a.sax), Vincent Herring(a.sax), Brad Leali (a.sax), Wes Anderson(a.sax), Mark Gross(a.sax), Bruce Williams(a.sax), Roland Alexander(a.sax), Eric Alexander(t.sax), JD Allen(t.sax), Jimmy Green(t.sax), Roy Hargrove(tp), Sean Jones(tp), Carl Allen(drs), Cindy Blackman(drs), Omar Hakim(drs), Ralph Peterson(drs), Victor Lewis(drs), Eric McPherson(drs), Nasheet Waits(drs), Neal Smith(drs), Nat Reeves(drs), Kiyoshi Kitagawa(b), Richie Goods(b), Lonnie Plaxico(b), Ugonna Okeguwo(b), Vitaly Golovnev(tp), Shunzo Ohno(tp), Valery Ponomarev(tp)& Big Band , Alex Sipiagin (tp), Billy Hart (drs), Tia Fuller(a.sax), Miriam Sullivan(b), Kim Thompson(drs), Jason Curry(a.sax), Charenee Wade (vo) , to name a few.
Originally from Kyoto, Japan, pianist Miki Hayama has been busy making quite a respected name for herself on New York's jazz scene since 2003.
She has become pianist on call to work with some of the greatest in the world, including Grammy Winner alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, Grammy Nominee jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon, drummer Ralph Peterson, and even the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin. Her own 2006 sophomore release Prelude to a Kiss received a five-star rating in Swing Journal. Her newest album Wide Angle got Swing Journal's Gold Disc Award in March 2009, Best Production Award in January, 2010.
In 2007, she was chosen as an feature artist and musical director of the First Annual Japanese Festival in Central park " Japan Day". In 2009, She also performed at African American Church Presidential Inauguration Ball in Washington DC.
Currently she plays Gospel with choir every Sunday at the Cathedral United Baptist Church in Bronx, and along with her own group and others, she works at the Grammy Nominee jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon Band and tours world wide.
Drew high praise from the New York Times, and interview and frequent airplay from WBGO, and enthusiastic support from some of jazz's master musicians.
" Miki Hayama is an amazing young pianist with great chops, a great harmonic concept and a great imagination ! " piano master Kenny Barron recently observed. " This young lady, born in Kyoto, Japan, swings as if she's Harlem grown. Colorful and creative, her style is both aggressive and sensitive.." drumming legend Victor Lewis adds. High praise, indeed, and a sign that her star is on the rise !
Miki Hayama has performed and shared at the stage with GrammyAward winning alto saxophone player, Kenny Garrett, and Grammy Nominee vocalist, Nnenna Freelon , Aretha Franklin (vo), James Spaulding(a.sax), Joe Ford(a.sax), Vincent Herring(a.sax), Brad Leali (a.sax), Wes Anderson(a.sax), Mark Gross(a.sax), Bruce Williams(a.sax), Roland Alexander(a.sax), Eric Alexander(t.sax), JD Allen(t.sax), Jimmy Green(t.sax), Roy Hargrove(tp), Sean Jones(tp), Carl Allen(drs), Cindy Blackman(drs), Omar Hakim(drs), Ralph Peterson(drs), Victor Lewis(drs), Eric McPherson(drs), Nasheet Waits(drs), Neal Smith(drs), Nat Reeves(drs), Kiyoshi Kitagawa(b), Richie Goods(b), Lonnie Plaxico(b), Ugonna Okeguwo(b), Vitaly Golovnev(tp), Shunzo Ohno(tp), Valery Ponomarev(tp)& Big Band , Alex Sipiagin (tp), Billy Hart (drs), Tia Fuller(a.sax), Miriam Sullivan(b), Kim Thompson(drs), Jason Curry(a.sax), Charenee Wade (vo) , to name a few.
Jazz festivals & Concert appearances:
| 2003 | Syracuse Jazz festival (Syracuse, NY) | Kenny Garrett (a.sax) Quartet |
| 2004 | Mary LouWilliams Woman in Jazz Festival (Washington DC) | Miriam Sullivan (b)Quintet |
| 2004 | Chaney Hall (CT) | Ralph Peterson (drs) Quintet |
| 2004 | Detroit Jazz Festival (Detroit, MI) | Sean Jones (tp) Quintet |
| 2004 | Savannah Jazz Festival (Savannah, GA) | Kim Thompson (drs) Quartet |
| 2005 | Mary LouWilliams Woman in Jazz Festival (Washington DC) | Piano Competition |
| 2005 | BirdLand (Vienna, Austria) | Queen Rose (vl) Quartet |
| 2006 | John F. Kennedy Center (Washington DC) | Kenny Garrett (a.sax) Quartet |
| 2006 | Kanazawa Concert Hall (Kanazawa, Japan) | Miki Hayama NY Trio |
| 2006 | Hibiki Hall (Fukui, Japan) | Miki Hayama NY Trio |
| 2006 | Kyoto Art Cultural Concert Hall ( Kyoto, Japan) | Miki Hayama NY Trio |
| 2006 | Moscow Jazz Festival (Russia) | Vitaly Golovnev (tp) Quintet |
| 2006 | Indianapolis Jazz Festival (Indianapolis) | Jason Curry (a.sax) Quartet |
| 2006 | Yonkers River Festival (Yonkers, NY) | Sage |
| 2006 | Yokohama Jazz Promenade Festival (Yokohama, Japan) | Miki Hayama Quartet |
| 2007 | Japan Day @ Central Park (NYC) | Miki Hayama Quintet with special guest: Lenard Eto (japannese drums)Cocolo Gospel Choir |
| 2007 | Norwalk Jazz Festival (Norwalk, CT) | Kersten Stevens (vl) Quartet |
| 2007 | Music Circus (Cohasett, Massachusetts) | Aretha Franklin (vo) Concert |
| 2008 | Mary Lou Williams Woman in Jazz Festival (DC) | Accompany for saxophone competition |
| 2009 | African American Church Presidential Inauguration Ball (Washington DC) | SAGE |
| 2009 | Henderson Art Center | Nnenna Freelon (vo) Group |
| 2009 | Afirican American Performing Center | Nnenna Freelon (vo) Group |
| 2009 | Tangier Jazz Festival (Morocco ) | Nnenna Freelon (vo) Group |
| 2010 | Forest Park Hall | Miki Hayama Quartet |
| 2010 | Badmington Theater (Greece) | Nnenna Freelon (vo) Group |
| 2010 | Uero Preto Jazz Festival (Brazil) | Nnenna Freelon (vo) Group |
| 2010 | Nancy Jazz Festival (France) | Nnenna Freelon (vo) Group |
| 2010 | Blues to Bop Festival (Switzerland) | Imani 7 |
| 2010 | Peekskill Jazz Festival | Sage |
| 2010 | Yonkers River Festival | Miki Hayama Quartet |