Aug 28

Aug 28 Tomoko Omura | Branches, Vol. 1 | Album

Outside In Music is proud to announce the August 28th release of Branches Vol. 1, the fourth album from New York-based, Japanese violinist, composer, producer and arranger Tomoko Omura. On her debut recording for Outside In Music, the Shizuoka-born artist presents a six-track collection of original compositions inspired by Japanese folktales and such, in addition to some reimagined arrangements of popular Japanese songs. Branches Vol. 1 amplifies and elaborates upon the musical and contextual ideas that the violinist first explored on her 2015 release Roots. To bring this innovative new album to fruition, Omura is joined by Jeff Miles on guitar, Glenn Zaleski on piano, Pablo Menares on bass and Jay Sawyer on drums.

Regarded by Downbeat magazine as “a leader with a fine future”, Tomoko Omura is among today’s leading voices in jazz violin. Upon its release, Roots was praised by fellow violinist Christian Howes as “a tremendous accomplishment, and undoubtedly one of the most important and creative jazz albums produced by a violinist in recent history.” While this compelling tribute to her native Japan offered unique and original arrangements of ten classic Japanese folk and popular songs, Branches Vol. 1 serves to display Omura’s dynamic talents as not only a virtuosic violinist and arranger but as a truly inventive composer.