Artist Profile
KVQKaori Vibes Quartet is a Tokyo based quartet led by Kaori Nakajima on vibraphone.
Upon hearing Kaoris vibraphone in a trombone led quintet Takehiro Bando from the Urban Jazz Ichigo Ichie label was so impressed he invited her to the studio to record a CD.
However she had no band with which to record.
Bando then introduced Kaori to Minoru Yoshiki and Masanori Ando and Tamashi Goto which gave birth to the Kaori Vibes Quartet.
Since its inception in 2010 The Kaori Vibes Quartet has performed extensively throughout Japan releasing its acclaimed debut CD Flying Mind in 2013.
Of the nine songs on the CD Kaori Nakajima composed six. Also since inception the group has made an annual pilgrimage to New York to pay homage to jazz and to learn from the best of the best through listening and jamming with them.
Kaori Nakajima is heavily influenced by African-American groove. But she doesnt just emulate the groove she stamps her own signature on it with 4 mallets instead of two.
Nakajima maybe petite but her sound is dynamic and passionate.