Vortex by Shoko Nagai

After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 1999 she moved to New York City and quickly established herself in the downtown jazz scene performing with such renowned artists as John Zorn, Rasheid Ali, Butch Morris, Tom Rainy, Louie Beloginis, Ikue Mori, Satoshi Takeishi, Cuog Vu, Roy Champbell, Sam Newsome, Greg Tardy, Lukas Ligeti, Daniel Carter, Ohad Talmor to name a few. The Shoko Nagai Quintet which features some of New York's best musicians has performed extensively at the BlueNote, Knitting factory, Tonic, Stone, Roulette as well as at other top New York clubs. Nagai released her first CD "Two levels Crossing" in 2000, 2nd CD "VORTEX" in 2002, 3rd. CD "Vsoon" in 2003 which sky productions records. Nagai has performed in Norway (Natt Jazz Festival 1998), Switzerland and Israel. Her most recent project is "Vortex" which is a free improvisation duet with electronics. In 2005, she received a grant from Philadelphia Music Project 2005 Grant for JazzJaunts, a project in which seven jazz artists will compose and premiere compositions that incorporate musical traditions from their cultural roots, spanning South Africa, Cuba, Brazil, South India, Iraq, Japan, and the Jewish Diaspora.

Sam Newsome-Sop.Saxophone

Born and raising in Virginia.He reled on the Dutch label Criss Crossfor 10 years. Already a highly respected saxphonist in the mid-90s in Telance Blanchard's Quintet. Also he has performed with Donald Byrd,

Mulgrew Miller, Leon Parker, Avishai cohen, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, David Berkman.His carreer changing move that has paid off richly with his Columbia records debut. His Palmetto debut in 1999, Sam Newsome & Global Unity expands upon that project's amalgam of world rhythms African, Brazilian, Indian, Middle Eastern,Latin and funk.He is difenetary master jazz, playing are passion and deep more than tequnic. Satoshi Takeishi is one of the member in his band.

Satoshi Takeishi-percussion

Satoshi Takeishi,drummer,percussionist, and arranger is a native of Mito Japan. He studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. While at Berklee he developed and interest in the music of South America and went to live in Colombia following the invitation

of a friend. He spent four years there and forgemany musical and personal relationships. His interest expanded to the rhythms and melodies of the middle east where he studied and performed with Armenian-American oud master Joe Zeytoonian. Since moving to New York in 1991 he has performed and collaborated with many musicians such as Ray Barretto, Carlos Valdes,Eliane Elias, Mark Johnson, Herbie Mann, Paul Winter Consort, Dave Liebman, Randy Brecker, Mark Helias, John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, , Mark Murphy, Toshiko Akiyoshi big band and Pablo Ziegler to name a few. He continues to explore multi-cultural and improvisational music with local musicians and composers in New York.

Dave Hertzberg -bass

Born and raised in New York City, Dave Hertzberg has been playing upright and electric bass on the New York scene for four years.Experienced in a wide range of musical styles including jazz, rock, fusion, and folk,he has appeared in countless venuesthroughout the New York area.Hertzberg has performed with such talented musicians as Greg Tardy, Sam Newsome,Matt Willson, Nick Mancini, and Richard Bennett. Currently a member of the jazz collective "Quantum Quartet", the rock-country-jazz-folk band Mad Cow Town, and the Shoko Nagai Quintet, with whom he toured Japan in October 2001-2002. The bassist is currently touring the U.S. with the popular jazz-funk band Ulu, and will be traveling to Peru this summer to perform with Peruvian singer Corrina Bartra. In addition to performing, Hertzberg has an active teaching career.He teaches music workshops in New York City public schoolsand also gives private bass lessons. Hertzberg is attending the Manhattan School of Music graduate program of 2003.

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