Senri Kawaguchi started shaking things up when she was 12. When she was 13, Drummerworld named her one of the 500 best drummers of all time. At age 24, she has already headlined several international tours and done session work with some of the top jazz and fusion musicians in the world. She gives master classes to other professional-level drummers. So, we know her skills are off the chart, but what sets her apart is her innate sense of swing. I could go on, but there is nothing like watching her in action.
“Onyx”, live (2014)
Senri started headlining her own tours in 2014. This is from a live session at the Bottom Line in LA, supporting her first full length solo album, “Buena Vista”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsAMVV9LugY
“Wupatki” live (2017)
Recorded at Motion Blue, Yokohama, with ongoing collaborators Philippe Saisse and Armand Sabal-Lecco. This won the 2017 Jazz Japan Award for best live performance. I hear echoes of the great fusion groups of the 70’s and 80’s--Sabal-Lecco’s bass leads are reminiscent of Stanley Clarke. Senri smiles joyously while burning the house down. The sound is so rich it’s hard to imagine this is just a three-piece band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrHJoY6RzR0
“Crazy Army” live (2011, Steve Gadd cover)
Here is a look back at Senri at 14, performing an extended solo originally written by Steve Gadd. Lots of young phenoms can play fast and hit hard. Almost none have this kind of discipline. It’s like watching a high-wire act without a safety net, and it says a lot about why she became so good so fast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnx3bIoFb-0
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