Yoko Noge's Japanesque

Friday, June 15, 2007
@ Katerina's

Featuring: Tatsu Aoki (Shamisen), Hide and Amy (Taiko Drums), Yoko Noge (Piano and Vocal)

Place: Katerina’s
1920 W. Irving Park Chicago IL. 60613
Time: 10 pm
Phone: (773) 348-7592

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebrates
Yoko Noge

Wednesday, May 16, 2007
@ Maxim’s: The Nancy Goldberg International Center

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is commemorated with “Rick Kogan’s Conversations with Extraordinary People” featuring Yoko Noge, the Japanese-born entertainer who came to Chicago to play the blues and stayed to captivate audiences with her fusion of jazz and blues and Japanese folk music. Yoko Noge in Conversation with Rick Kogan will be presented 6pm, Wednesday, May 16, at Maxim’s: The Nancy Goldberg International Center, 24 E. Goethe.

Named a “Chicagoan of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune in 2006, Yoko sings and plays classic jazz, blues and her original compositions, often leading her own “Jazz Me Blues Band” featuring her husband Clark Dean on clarinet and soprano saxophone; Avreeayle Ra on native American flute and bassist Tatsu Aoki on Shamisen. The venerable critic Studs Terkels says she’s “Wonderful Yoko---a Jazz for Joy Artiste.” Although performing in many venues throughout the city, and touring overseas in Japan and other parts of Asia, Yoko has a day job, working as a financial reporter for the Nihon Keizei Shimbun, the world’s largest selling business daily.

The host of "Conversations with Extraordinary People," Rick Kogan is senior writer and “Sidewalks” columnist for the Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine. He also hosts WGN's "Sunday Papers with Rick Kogan" (6:30-9am Sundays, 720 am). A newspaper man since age 16 when he wrote his first story for the Chicago Sun-Times, he was a reporter for the Chicago Daily News where he authored a weekly nightlife column, later collected in a book, Dr. Night Life's Chicago. He joined the Chicago Tribune in the 1980s where he was TV critic for five years and later the editor of Tempo, the Tribune's daily feature section. A captivating storyteller, Kogan has written ten books, including two published in 2006: A Chicago Tavern: A Goat, A Curse and the American Dream and Sidewalks: Portraits of Chicago. Both books will be available for sale and signing.

Refreshments, courtesy of The Whitehall Hotel and Fornetto Mei, will be served.

"Conversations with Extraordinary People" is a regular program series presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and sponsored by The Whitehall Hotel and Fornetto Mei Restaurant. It is taped before a live audience for rebroadcast at 9pm on Cable 25.

Yoko Noge's Japanesque

Friday, March 23, 2007
@ Katerina's

Featuring, Bob Stroger (Chicago Blues Legend, Bass and Vocal) and two Japanese blues players, Wabi ( Blues Harmonica and Vocal), Minoru Maruyama(Guitar, ex-Billy Brunch's band member) with Tatsu Aoki (Shamisen), Hide and Amy (Taiko Drums), Yoko Noge (Piano and Vocal)

Place: Katerina’s
1920 W. Irving Park Chicago IL. 60613
Time: 10 pm
Phone: (773) 348-7592

2 Shows of Yoko Noge's Japanesque

Friday, January 26, 2007
Yoko Noge's Japonesque with John Primer and Bob Stroger
@ Chicago Cultural Center

Saturday, February 3, 2007
with Lurie Bell and Bob Stroger
@ Katerina's

What does Japanese Minyo (folk music) have in common with Chicago Blues?

Both musical forms are deeply rooted in people's souls and grew from there everyday life experience. Some songs are about hard labor, some are about crying for lost love, some are about paying the rent. You will be surprised to hear music from these two very different cultures meld together to create a new cross-border root music.

Featuring: Yoko Noge(Vocal & Piano), Tatsu Aoki (Shamisen), Hide Yoshihashi & Amy Homma (Taiko Drums), Avreeayl Ra (Drums)

Friday, January 26, 2007

Yoko Noge's Japonesque with John Primer & Bob Stroger

Japanese folk music, MINYO meets Chicago Blues featuring: Yoko Noge (Vocal & Piano), Tatsu Aoki (Shamisen), Hide Yoshihashi & Amy Homma (Taiko Drums)
*with two Chicago Blues Legends, John Primer (Guitar), Bob Stroger (Bass)

Chicago Cultural Center
Claudia Cassidy Theater
78 E. Washington Street, Chicago IL. 60602

Sunday, December 31, 2006

SwingIn' the New Year - New Year's Eve

Swing into the New Year with Yoko Noge and the Jazz Me Blues Band and Erwin Helfer. This is a swing dance event, but all are invited to come.

Wednesday, September 6, at 7pm

Jazzin' Along the Silk Roads-From Osaka to Chicago
with Yoko Noge and the Jazz Me Blues

The incomparable Yoko Noge and the Jazz Me Blues Band perform on Wednesday, September 6, at Maxim’s: the Nancy Goldberg International Center, 24 E. Goethe at Astor. Presented as part of Maxim’s Silk Road Cabaret, the program demonstrates the cultural connections that arise from Chicago's rich multicultural heritage. Yoko's "Jazzin' along the Silk Road" show features Yoko's fusion of Japanese folk music with her blues and jazz. The program showcases drummer Avreeayle Ra playing native American flute and bassist Tatsu Aoki on Shamisen, with special guest Clark Dean on soprano saxophone.

Yoko Noge and her Jazz Me Blues band are well known in Japan and Chicago for classic jazz, blues and Yoko's original compositions. a vocalist and blues pianist extraordinaire, Yoko is considered the city of Osaka's gift to Chicago. She moved to Chicago in order to study the blues and hear first hand the music of Chicago's legendary blues artists. She learned well, and now is internationally renown as a blues and jazz performer. Studs Terkel describes her as "Wonderful Yoko---a Jazz for Joy Artiste." At the Kaho Kabuki theater in Japan, Yoko's version of "Tanko Bushi" an old Japanese coal miner's work song, so electrified the audience they jumped onto the stage dancing and singing along with the band.

Friday, September 8, 2006

Yoko Noge’s Jazz Me Blues: Japanesque

Japanese folk music, MINYO meets Chicago Blues featuring; Yoko Noge(Vocal & Piano), Tatsu Aoki (Shamisen), Hide Yoshihashi & Amy Homma (Taiko Drums)
*with special guest Eddie Taylor Jr., Chicago Blues legend

What does Japanese Minyo (folk music) have in common with Chicago Blues? Both musical forms are deeply rooted in people's souls and grew from there everyday life experience. Some songs are about hard labor, some are about crying for lost love, some are about paying the rent. You will be surprised to hear music from these two very different cultures meld together to create a new cross-border root music.

June 2 (Fri), June 16 (Fri)

Yoko & Clark duo

Place: Noon Free Concert at Chicago Water Works (163E.Pearson)
Time: Noon to 1:15pm
Phone: 312 742 8811

June 7 (Wed)

Old Town School of Folk Music

4544 N. Lincoln Tel (773)728 6000
Chicago Blues & Beyond: The Blues as Chicago's Contribution to World Music,
Admission Free
Time: 8:30pm to 10:30pm
Yoko Noge (Piano&Vocal) with Tatsu Aoki(Shamisen),
Hide&Amy(TaikoDrums)and John Primer(ChicagoBlues legend)

June 11 (Sun)

Blues Festival at Louisiana Stage

Yoko with Tatsu Aoki(Shamisen), Hide&Amy(Taiko Drums),
John Primer (Chicago Blues Legend)
Time: 3pm to 4pm