Tomoko Ohno & Andres Boiarsky - Shadows of Spring (2004)

01-Black Mountain
02-Shadows of Spring
03-Casa Mila
04-Funk A Leufu
05-Invierno Porteno
06-In Your Own Sweet way
07-Alone Again
08-Lazy Bird
09-Samba de Sorvete
10-Anabelle
11-Oblivion.

TOMOKO OHNO (p)
ANDRES BOIARSKY(ts,as,ss)
GUILLERMO DELGADO(b)
FERNANDO MARTINEZ(ds,udu)

Tomoko Ohno: piano

Tomoko Ohno, born in Tokyo, began piano studies at the age of 4. As a teenager, she began playing professionally in the Tokyo area jazz scene. After graduating from Rikkyo University in Law and Politics, Miss Ohno moved to the United States and entered the Jazz Studies Program at William Paterson University in New Jersey, where she studied with Harold Mabern and Rufus Reid. During this time she had the opportunity to perform with such artists as Jerome Richardson, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson and Joe Henderson. A recipient of the Student Award of Outstanding Performance and a member of the Dean’s List, Miss Ohno graduated with a B.A. in Jazz Studies.
She has performed at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, Sweet Basil and The Lenox Lounge in Harlem, in addition to appearing on live radio broadcasts by WBGO and WNYC, and ABC TV's Good Morning America. She has performed and/or recorded with Slide Hampton, Claudio Roditi, James Spaulding, Rufus Reid, The John Lee Quartet, The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni Big Band and Sherry Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, as well as working as a side musician with such diverse musical ensembles as the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble and The Spirit of Life Ensemble.
Miss Ohno also leads her own group, and has released three CDs on the Japan-based Tokuma label. In 1997 her first album, “Powder Blue” was released, and in 1999 her second album, “Affirmation” was released, followed in 2000 by the album "Natural Woman." Her latest album "Shadows of Spring" (recorded in Argentina) was released by Notorious Records in 2005.
Miss Ohno is also active as a composer, and has been the recipient of a grant from The Meet The Composer Foundation. Commissioned works include pieces written for the Englewinds Chamber Ensemble.

Andres Boiarsky: Saxophones, Clarinet and Flute

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Andres Boiarsky began piano lessons at the age of six. He later switched to the clarinet while getting deeply involved with the strong revivalist jazz scene that existed in Buenos Aires during the mid seventies. While stylistically evolving within the jazz idiom, Andres began playing the tenor, alto and soprano saxophones.
In 1978 he left Argentina for London, England, to study at the renowned Royal College of Music from where he received an A.R.C.M. Diploma. During his British sojourn, he formed his own group and recorded his first solo album for Spotlight Records and several radio programs for the BBC.
After completing his studies in England, Boiarsky returned to his homeland where he spent the next six years. He recorded two solo albums for CBS records and performed throughout several South American countries.
In 1988, with the encouragement of Paquito D'Rivera and Carlos Franzetti, he moves to New York. A few months after his arrival Boiarsky joins the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, he would later become the band's musical director till 1993.
From 1993 to 1998, Andres was a member of the United Nation Orchestra under the direction of D'Rivera.
In 1997 after recording the CD “Dizzy’s 80th Birthday”, alongside Jon Faddis and Cyrus Chesnut among other jazz greats, he becomes part of the pool of outstanding musicians that make the “Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Stars”, directed by Slide Hampton and John Lee. Currently he is still a member of this group performing all over the world at the most prestigious venues/festivals.
As a sideman, Boiarsky participated in many recordings by the likes of: Slide Hampton, Paquito D'Rivera, Jimmy Heath, Nancy Wilson, The United Nation Orchestra, Claudio Roditi, Lionel Hampton, Al Di Meola, to name but a few.
In 1996 he recorded "Into the Light", his first album as a leader for a North American label available through Reservoir Records.
In 2004, Boiarsky starts a musical partnership with Japanese pianist Tomoko Ohno. While performing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, they record the CD "Shadows of Spring" for MDR Records, released in May 2005. In 2006 they record for the same label: “Tomoko in Buenos Aires”, a follow up CD to “Shadows of Spring”, to be released in November 2006.
As an educator Boiarsky has a vast experience that spans over twenty years of teaching in the US and in his native Argentina. He gave clinics at prestigious institutions such as the University of Idaho and the George Mason University in Virginia.
His solo performances took him as far as Alaska and Russia where he has performed in several occasions including the White Nights Jazz festival in St. Petersburg.

author: robert hesse

This is first rate jazz performed by musicians who accompany, listen and pass musical ideas back and forth within the group. Mpstly original tunes by Tomoko Ohno and Andres Boiarsky, the album was recorded in Buenos Aires in October, which, of course, is in the spring of the year in the Southern Hemisphere. This is music to listen to when you need to know there remains beauty in this world.