BIOGRAPHY





MEGTARO



MEGTARO is an instrumental band from Tokyo, Japan since 2015. The members are Megumi Otani (piano) and Kentaro Nakayama (drums). Basic format is piano and drums DUO style. Mostly MEGTARO performs member's original songs which are colorful, emotional, and peaceful with using jazz vocabulary and their own way to create ensemble. MEGTARO has a wide variety of projects such as piano-drums DUO, piano trio, trio with sax, vocal and tap dance, quartet and quintet.


Moreover, the DUO has two albums "Arise"(2018) and "Newselves"(2020). Each song describes nature, special visual scene, member's experience and thought.




Currently MEGTARO is holding concerts in Tokyo once or twice a month and is touring to Hokkaido, Osaka, and Taiwan aria once a year.


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Duo

MEGTARO


Trio

w/ Yosuke Terao (bass)

Shota Ishikawa (bass)

yoshiko (tap)

Akihiro Yoshimoto (sax)

Akiko Suda (vo)

Ayuko Namihira (vo)


Quartet

w/ WURSTKASE(twin bass)

Akihiro Yoshimoto & AKiko Suda​


Quintet

Jiyu-Kodo MEGTARO

Megtaro + Tomohiro Higashikinjo(a.sax), Toyomi Kobayashi(flute), Yosuke Terao(bass)


​





Megumi Otani
: Pianist, Keyboardist, Composer, Arranger



Megumi Otani is a professional pianist, composer and arranger. She started to play piano and Electone in YAMAHA when she was 3 years old, and started to compose when she was 6 years old. She became a winner of “Japan Junior Electone Competition 2004” when she was the age of 15. Since then, she started her career as a professional musician.


In 2008, she entered Tokyo College of Music. During this time, she studied compositions for small group jazz, big band jazz, movie and advertisement.


After she graduated, her major style became jazz. Currently she has her own band, called “MEGTARO“, since 2015. The members of this group are Megumi Otani (piano) and Kentaro Nakayama (drums). Basically it is piano and drums duo style. It performs member's original songs which are colorful, emotional, and peaceful with using jazz vocabulary and their own way to create ensemble. 1st. Album "Arise" is released in June 2018.


In addition, her style makes her a versatile sideman such as a jazz pianist, a pop, R&B, gospel keyboardist, a recording musician, a composer and an arranger of TV program and advertisement songs, and many others.



Kentaro Nakayama
: Jazz Drummer, Composer, Educator



Kentaro Nakayama is a professional jazz drummer, based in Tokyo, Japan. Currently he has his own band, called “MEGTARO”, since 2015. The members are Megumi Otani (piano) and Kentaro Nakayama (drums). Basic format of this band is piano and drums duo style. It performs their original songs which are colorful, emotional, and peaceful with using jazz vocabulary and their own way to create ensemble. 1st. Album "Arise" is released in June 2018.


In 2006, Kentaro accepted his scholarship and moved to Boston, M.A. to study jazz and contemporary music at Berklee College of Music. During this time at Berklee, he met many great musicians and began studying with highly acclaimed giants such as Ian Froman, John Ramsey, Mark Walker, Ralph Peterson, Terri Lyne Carrington, Hal Crook and more.


In 2010, Kentaro moved to New York City to start his career as a professional drummer after graduating from Berklee College of Music. He had many opportunities for performing with great artists. During this time, Clarence Penn, top-drawer international drummer and composer, began supporting his efforts on New York’s music scene and became his mentor.


In 2014, he moved back to Japan and started his career as a leader of “MEGTARO”. Currently his style is based on jazz but is flexible so that it becomes him a versatile sideman.


On the other hand, he began to start his career as an educator for all kinds of drumming, especially jazz drumming, with 9 years of experience in U.S.A.



Discography



“Arise” and "Newselves" are available on this website directly, or you can get it on Spotify, iTunes and Amazon music. Also it’s available on major streaming site.

Apple Music/amazon music/amazon prime music/Spotify/kkbox/LiNE MUSiC/google play music/AWA/
R music/smart USEN/DEEZER/J com music/RAKUTEN MUSIC/USEN/OTORAKU/replay/recochoku/
utapassd music/otoraku/hikari music/OTOTOY/oricon ME!/KONAMI/Yamaha mysound



Arise



2018.6.3 Release



​Our debut album called “Arise” which includes 10 original compositions is piano and drums duo format. Each song has their stories which comes from special visual scene, our experience, emotions and an image of color sense. We try to describe about them with using jazz vocabulary and our original ensemble method. We pursue how to make a conversation between piano and drums, also how to build up each song to climax like a storyteller.


-Track-

1. Purity 2. Tree, Tree, Tree 3. Deal in Fantasy 4. Viva! Lady 5. serene night 6. Ima Ima 7. Fountain 8. Inner Peace 9. Golden Fields 10. Continuing



produced by Megtaro

engineered by Hirokazu Tsuruha at Geimori Studio, Sapporo Japan, October 25, 2017

mixed and mastered by Akihito Yoshikawa at Dede Air Mastering Studio, Tokyo, Japan

photographs by Kyoko Yamashita

artwork and design by Takuya Matsuno



Newselves



2020.6.24 Release



Our second album, called "Newselves", which includes 10 original compositions is duo style of piano and drums. Each song has each story which comes from special visual scene, our experience and emotions. We try to describe them with using jazz vocabulary. Also we pursue how to make a conversation between piano and drums.


Newselves is a kind of unique word. The meaning of this title is shedding the old self and putting on the new self. It's never too late to take on a challenge. Live life to the fullest for your new self in the future.


-Track-

1.Renology 2.Second Spring 3.Present 4.In Thoughtful 5.Sight 6.Everlasting 7.Favorite Green 8. My Will 9.Oean Road 10. Leaping Up



produced by Megtaro

engineered by Hirokazu Tsuruha at Geimori Studio, Sapporo Japan, November 20, 2019

mixed and mastered by Akihito Yoshikawa at Dede Air Mastering Studio, Tokyo, Japan

artwork and design by Yuki Hasegawa



1st Album "Arise" Trailer



Arise Release Live extra Edition Digest
19.01.30@JZ Brat,Shibuya



Favorite Green -Megumi Otani
19.01.30@JZ Brat, Shibuya



My Will - Kentaro Nakayama
19.01.30@JZ Brat, Shibuya



Ima Ima- Megumi Otani
19.01.30@JZ Brat, Shibuya



Inner Peace - Kentaro Nakayama
19.01.30@JZ Brat, Shibuya



Liner Notes



01. Purity



Kentaro Nakayama



I wrote this song about a feeling when I meet an innocent people or touch a pure object. I would be very happy if those things won't change forever. Hopefully you would listen our sound what you feel and would have a joyful and a peaceful time.



02. Tree, Tree, Tree -mori mori-



Megumi Otani



I wrote this song about my favorite forest in neighborhood of Hokkaido where I grew up. I saw a shiny river, sunbeams streaming through leaves, a blue sky and beautiful earth when I was walking through the forest. would like you to imagine what a wonderful place it was.



03. Deal In Fantasy



Kentaro Nakayama



I was driving when it was a rainy night. Then I discovered a beautiful reflection of car lightnings on the mirrors and windows. At that time, I was wearing glasses. So I took it off and stared them again. That was such an amazing view in front of me because... you know how weak my eyes are! I would like to describe a extraordinary atmosphere.



04. Viva! Lady



Megumi Otani



One day, I saw a very lively lady when I was playing piano in a barroom. I just can't ignore her voice because it was so loud. I was trying to follow her voice and making up a song with improvising. I dedicate this song for women who work hard with their confidence!



05. serene night



Megumi Otani



It was a night I felt lonely being away from people. Then, I imagined that I was swimming in the night sky with so many shiny stars which are the only things I could be with.

When I was composing this song, I couldn't get enough ideas yet. Since I met the lady (song 04), I just got inspired by the silence after she left from the barroom.



06. Ima Ima



Megumi Otani



This song is for some TV news program which deals tiwh issues related to poverty, economic disparity and many others.

The image of this song is the Earth and the Earth's rotation. I put my wish into it which is that peaceful and joyful days will come in the future.



07. Fountains



Kentaro Nakayama



For example, there are neighboring springs in nature. It would be a seep sometime. They look different but I think the water comes from same water vein under ground. I believe human being and living things are also same as that situation which everything is connected through the earth. Hopefully we would realize our roots is identical and could find the way to get along with others.



08. Inner Peace



Kentaro Nakayama



I love to hear the sound of a bell and would be very peaceful because I feel calm and relaxed. Especially this song is about church bells ringing in town as an echo. On the other hand, depending on my moods which are stressed and gloomy, the sound doesn't make me happy/ Which means the way I hear the sound changes.

What type of sound is that? And how do I feel it when I get over them? I try to find my "Inner Peace" in this song.



09. Golden Fields



Megumi Otani



This song is about a story of my dream which I have had in a while. There are my relative and friends with smiling in front of a house having a red roof on the golden fields. Actually it is hard to meet each other often because they are living very far from me. I pray for my people with this song and I wish everyone whom I have met would have a life filled with happiness!



10. Continuing



Megumi Otani



It was one of most beautiful day in my life. It seems like I reached heaven. I want to keep those feeling in this song and bring it to people who always support us!



MEGTARO