About Yumi Ito
Ito presents an entire spectrum of vocal abilities, which includes recitation, singing lyrics, improvising using vocalese, etc. All tastefully and masterly executed with great respect to the entire framework of her compositions and the vocal tradition, which is truly cross-genre, but always perfectly aesthetically rounded.
– Adam Baruch, Polish Jazz
EN — The destruction of Earth, the only true kingdom we humans have; the committal of a friend to a psychiatric hospital; the heroin-death of her unknown neighbour: Yumi Ito weaves into her music stories about society - stories that matter, regardless of how large or small, how bright or dark they are. The sound is equally diverse and presents itself as an amalgam of several styles. What might seem tricky, really isn’t: the musician, composer, producer and arranger with Japanese and Polish roots expertly navigates a clear stylistic path, based on hundreds of hours of practice. Like a Zen master she observes, classifies and writes down events from a distance – precise, concentrated and wise. Yumi Ito lives and works in Basel, performs regularly all around the world and has shared the stage with artists such as Al Jarreau, Becca Stevens, Nils Petter Molvaer and Mark Turner. Her own art includes jazz, art-pop, electronica, free improvisation and neo-classical music, flexibly performable from solo to orchestra, while - of course - always telling a story.
DE — Yumi Ito (1990) verpackt in ihrer Musik Gesellschafts-Geschichten, welche Welten gelten, egal, ob klein oder gross, hell oder düster. Dementsprechend divers klingt denn auch der Sound: ein Amalgam aus allerlei Stilen. Wirkt vertrackt, ist es aber nicht. Die japanisch-polnisch-stämmige Musikerin, Komponistin, Produzentin und Arrangeurin findet auf Basis hunderter Stunden Übung stets eine klare Linie mit Stil. Wie eine Zen-Meisterin, welche aus der Ferne das Geschehen betrachtet, einordnet und niederschreibt; klar, konzentriert und klug. Yumi Ito lebt und arbeitet in Basel, performt regelmässig auf der ganzen Welt und hat die Bühne mit Künstler*innen wie Al Jarreau, Becca Stevens, Kurt Rosenwinkel und Mark Turner geteilt. Ihre eigene Kunst beinhaltet Jazz, Art-Pop, Electronica, Freie Improvisation und Neoklassik, flexibel aufführbar vom Solo bis zum Orchester, und erzählt – natürlich – stets Geschichten.
Current projects
Yumi Ito
solo Yumi Ito (voice, piano, composition)
with band with Nadav Erlich (double bass), Iago Fernandez (drums), Alessio Cazzetta (guitar)
Yumi Ito & Szymon Mika
Yumi Ito (voice, composition, Szymon Mika (guitar, composition)
Selected Past Performances
Blue Note Jazz Festival New York (US)
Montreux Jazzfestival (CH)
Jazzahead Showcases Bremen (DE)
Veneto Jazz Festival Venice (IT)
Schaffhauser Jazzfestival (CH)
Copenhagen Jazz Festival (DK)
Palermo Jazz Festival (IT) Musica Morfosi Festival (IT)
Empoli Jazz Festival (IT)
Peperoncino Jazzfestival (IT) Vejer Jazzfestival (ES) Cotton Jazz Club Ascoli Piceno (IT) Kaufleuten Zürich (CH) April Jazz Festival Espoo (FN)
Castroreale Jazzfestival (IT)
Burgjazz Festival (DE)
Jazz Au Peuple Festival (CH)
Jazz Juniors Krakow (PL)
Summer Jazz Festival Krakow (PL) Katowice JazzArt Festival (PL)
Bluenote Sao Paulo (BR)
Moods Zürich (CH)
Cully Jazz Festival (CH)
Offbeat Jazzfestival Basel (CH)
Akademia Letnia Jazzu Festival Lodz (PL)
Theaterstübchen Kassel (DE) Live In Vevey (CH) NOSPR Katowice (PL) Autumn Of Music Festival Montreux (CH)
Women in (e)-motion Festival (DE) Blue Note Poznan (PL)
Jazzmandu Festival (NP)
Ball Arte Festival (ES)
Nigran Jazz Festival (ES) etc.
Teaching
2021 — Special Feature Artist lecturer Jazz vocals at the University of Arts Zürich (ZHDK)
2020-2021 — Lecturer Jazz vocals at the University of Arts Luzern (HSLU)
2020-2021 — Nigran Jazz Festival Masterclass, JugendJazzOrchester (JJO)
Prizes, Grants & Residencies
Prioritäre Jazzförderung Pro Helvetia (CH)
Composer Residency "Uncool" Poschiavo (CH)
Focus Year Basel one-year stipend (CH)
RFV 1. Prize support for album "Stardust Crystals" (CH)
Montreux Jazz Competition (CH)
ZKB Jazzpreis Moods Semifinal (CH)
Winning Band Generations Festival (CH)
Composers Residency Art attack Iceland (IS)
Siena Jazz Festival Stipend (IT)
Education
2017-2018 — Focus Year Stipend — www.focusyearbasel.com
2015-2017 — Master of Arts Jazz Voice, Jazzcampus Basel
2012-2015 — Bachelor of Arts Jazz Voice, Zürcher Hochschule der Künste
Teachers & coaches
Mark Turner, Theo Bleckmann, Gretchen Parlato, Lisette Spinnler, Guillermo Klein, Dave Holland, Steve Swallow, Bobby McFerrin, Jorge Rossy, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jeff Ballard etc.
Discography – as a leader
Click on the album covers to listen.
Yumi Ito w/ Kuba Dworak, Iago Fernandez, Chris Hyson, Szymon Mika, Rui Stähelin, Ambrosius Huber, Kirk Starkey, Kirill Fasla Prolat – Ysla (2023)
Yumi Ito & Szymon Mika – Ekual (2021)
Yumi Ito Orchestra – Stardust Crystals (2020)
Yumi Ito & Yves Theiler – Ypsilon (2018)
Yumi Ito w/ Yves Theiler, Gabriel Dalvit, Yuri Goloubev – Intertwined (2016)
& as a sidewoman
Sarah Chaksad Large Ensemble – tba (2024) Charley Rose – tba (2023) Izabella Effenberg feat. Yumi Ito – tba (2023) Anton Mangold – Oracle (2023) Iago Fernandez – Luzada feat. Mark Turner, Ben Street, Joris Roelofs, David Virelles (Fresh Sounds, 2022) Oliver Pellet – Aufblühen (2022) CICP Collaborative Recordings, Vol.1 (2021) Buergi’s Quest – Pt. 2 feat. Yumi Ito (2021) Baptiste Stanek – Extended Techniques (2021)
Lisa Hoppe – Songs About Healing (2021)
Vaclav Palka – Poens. feat. Larry Grenadier, Jeff Ballard (Hout Records, 2020)
Elie Martin Charrière – Merry Christmas & **** (2020)
Contemporary Big Band – Nine Yards (2019)
Marton Juhasz Group – Discovery (2019)
Alex And The Wavemakers – EP (2018)
Andreo / Van Rechem 17tet – A x R + 15 (2018)
Focus Year Band: After This – Neuklang Records (2018)
Arthur Hnatek DKSJ – Hendecagone (2016)
