jazz pianist / composer

Sunday, March 24th, 3-5:30pm  Eri Yamamoto Duo at Arthur's Tavern in NYC  details

・New Music Videos & Performance Videos on my YouTube channel!   Subscribe

New Album Release 

"Colors of the Night"


Music Videos & Album 

"A Woman With a Purple Wig"


Album & Book 

"Goshu Ondo Suite"

New Album 


"Colors of the Night"

     Malakala Music 


Eri Yamamoto, piano

William Parker, bass

Ikuo Takeuchi, drums


-Colors of the Night is a live recording of Eri's special trio with legendary bassist/composer William Parker and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi. Eri has long associations with both, and this recording reveals the special chemistry that they shared at the November 2022 concert at Clemente Flamboyan Theater in New York’s Lower East Side. The music is vibrant, colorful, and spontaneous, as the trio brings to life Eri’s evocative and memorable songs.-

"A Woman With a Purple Wig"


Music Videos & Album

Eri's award-winning Music Video, 

"A Woman With a Purple Wig"

Another Music Video

Colors are Beautiful

from the same album 

"A Woman with a Purple Wig"


Album

Eri Yamamoto Trio 

"A Woman With a Purple Wig"

Eri Yamamoto, piano & voice  

David Ambrosio, bass  

Ikuo Takeuchi, drums


*Chorus: Rika Yamamoto, Bruce Barth, Ikuo Takeuchi, Rich Lamb

All compositions & lyrics by Eri Yamamoto 

(Mahakala Music)

All of these songs are about my experience of the pandemic while living in New York City. I had never written lyrics or sung on an album before. But I was thinking about certain incidents every day, and for two of the songs, the lyrics came to me with the melodies like an emotional release.

The woman with a purple wig is me. To protect myself from the violence against Asian women, I had to hide my identity, wearing a wig, mask, and sunglasses. In the beginning, I was filled with fear. Writing this song helped me to regain my emotional balance.

I also felt I had to speak out about racial violence against all groups of people. We all need to stand up and work together for peace and understanding. This is why I wrote lyrics for Colors are Beautiful. These songs are not about anger. I wrote them to encourage everyone, including myself, to see the world in a more positive way.

Originally, I assumed that another vocalist would sing these songs. But when I played my simple demos for my friend and mentor, William Parker, he said: “Eri, it’s your story. It will be more powerful if you sing yourself.”

Eri Yamamoto


< Lyrics >

A WOMAN WITH A PURPLE WIG   

(music & words by Eri Yamamoto)

 

One day, I bought a wig on the internet.

My favorite color - purple wig.

It’s only twenty bucks - purple wig.

 

Did you know that a purple wig has a special power?

It hides my head, so you don’t see my real hair.

The sunglasses hide my eyes, so you don’t know what I’m thinking.

The mask covers my mouth and nose, it’s perfect.

I hope you don’t see me at all.

 

I’m just a woman. Don’t hurt me.

Don’t hurt me.

 

Someday, I wanna walk like a free bird.

Just wanna sing to the world.

 

I’m just a human. Don’t hurt me.

Don’t hurt me.

 

 

COLORS ARE BEAUTIFUL     

(music & words by Eri Yamamoto)

 

Colors are beautiful, don’t you think?

Colors are beautiful.

 

Red rose, black diamond

Yellow moon, white snow

Brown earth, and blue sky.

I see so many colors in my palette.

 

Orange leaves, gold sunset

Purple night, silver stars

Grey clouds, and green eyes.

I see so many colors in this world.

 

Colors are beautiful, don’t you think?

Colors are beautiful.

All colors are beautiful.


-----------------

Colors are Beautiful Musical score


Goshu Ondo Suite 江州音頭組曲

        for SATB and Jazz Piano Trio 


Album & Musical Score


Goshu Ondo Suite is Eri's extended work for SATB choir and jazz trio. It is based on a traditional circle dance song from Shiga, Japan, near Kyoto, and she expanded it into a nine-movement suite. It encompasses the music of many cultures: Japanese folk dance, American jazz, gospel, and blues; even Congolese drum rhythms. 

Goshu Ondo Suite was premiered and recorded live by The Eri Yamamoto Trio & Choral Chameleon in 2018, and the recording is available on AUM Fidelity records. Eri has since performed the suite with multiple choirs in Japan and Spain, always ending the concerts by inviting the audience to joyfully join in the traditional dance.

Album

Goshu Ondo Suite

Eri Yamamoto Trio & Choral Chameleon

This large choral work composed by Eri features the award-winning Choral Chameleon and the Eri Yamamoto Trio, in a joyful meeting of musical cultures. (AUM Fidelity)

Musical Score 

Goshu Ondo Suite   

        for SATB and Jazz Piano Trio 


Paperback on sale on amazon!

-Goshu Ondo Suite has a strong jazz element, the vocal parts do not require jazz experience. The lyrics are in Japanese, but very simple and fun to sing in English or Spanish transliteration.-

In this unique World Premiere, East and West collide in an evening-length fusion of New York jazz and Japanese traditional culture, Eri Yamamoto has created an unique choral experience - Goshu Ondo Suite – which reimagines a centuries-old, revered Japanese tradition through the lenses of both jazz and choral music.