Born in Meguro Ward, Tokyo. Noriko grew up listening to a lot of classical music, her engineer father played whilst working at home. At four with her older brother, she learned to play the violin. Later, while in college, she became interested in jazz and took up the flute. This led to entering the Musashino Conservatory of Music and after graduating, she studied under Yoshio Otomo, Toshihiko Inoue and Hirohiko Watanabe, all well-known Japanese jazz musicians. Today, she continues to play the flute, cherishing the warm tone and the groove feeling that uniquely lends itself to jazz. As a jazz musician she has developed an excellent sense of sound and improvisation; coupled with a fine understanding of melody, utilizing phrases that fly like the wind full of inimitable nuances. In 1987, she formed her own quartet and has gone on to interact with many musicians and perform many live performances. Essentially, her style imbues a deep and emotional groove articulated in her rich tone that is quite sublime. This album is her third as a leader and is joined by other fine Japanese musicians. Four of the nine tunes are her own compositions with the remainder a careful selection of popular jazz tunes. Overall, it is album that will continue to grow on any jazz flute enthusiast and any music lover, enjoy!
What'sNew Records, WNCJ-2158, 2005
Kiichi Futamura - Piano
Tomoo Yamaguchi - Guitar
Moriyoshi Shibuya - Bass
Junji Hirose - Drums
Tracks:
1. Four O'Clock Train {Noriko
Kojima} (6:15)
2. Vega {Noriko Kojima}
(7:00)
3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
{Harold Arlen} (6:38)
4. We'll Be Together Again
{Carl Fischer} (6:05)
5. New York Bossa {Steve
Grossman} (6:40)
6. Umbrellas Of Cherbourg
{Michel Legrand} (6:07)
7. Sasanqua {Noriko Kojima}
(7:43)
8. Black Panther In Johor
Bahru {Noriko Kojima} (5:04)
9. Triste {Antônio Carlos
Jobim} (7:21)
Total Time: 58:53
