Draft:Nathan Tokunaga
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Last edited by 170.140.105.81 (talk | contribs) 39 hours ago. (Update) |
Nathan Tokunaga | |
|---|---|
 Tokunaga in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | December 27, 2006 Redwood City, California, US |
| Genres | Jazz, Swing |
| Instrument(s) | Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto and Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone |
| Website | https://www.nathantokunagajazz.com/ |
Nathan Andrew Tokunaga (born December 27, 2006) is an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader based in the San Francisco Bay Area.[1] He has been a member of many professional jazz bands and album recordings, most recently as a sideman and guest soloist in Gunhild Carling's Jazz is my Lifestyle in 2024.[2][3][4]
Career
[edit]Tokunaga started playing the clarinet at 9 years old and, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, gained an appreciation for traditional jazz music.[5][6][2] First studying under New Orleans jazz musician Clint Baker, Tokunaga developed a foundational repertoire of jazz standards, and he would later study under composer and clarinetist Evan Christopher.[6][5]
Tokunaga began his professional career at the age of 14 playing in the 2021 Healdsburg Jazz Festival.[5][7] In the ensuing years, he would go on to play with various professional big bands, including the Gunhild Carling Big Band[4], Alex Mendham Orchestra[8], and Kyle Athayde Dance Party[3].
In 2021, he founded a youth jazz group called "Nathan's Fearless Five" to raise funds for the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic following the damages caused by Hurricane Ida in the city.[1] The group has been featured in regular performances around the Bay Area, playing in cafes, libraries, senior care facilities, and jazz clubs.[1] They primarily play early swing music from the 1920s and 1940s.[1]
Tokunaga has appeared in other albums in addition to Jazz is my Lifestyle, including Backdraft Jazz Band's A Musical Tribute to the Firehouse Five (#2)[9], and Huntington Palace Jazz Band's A Tribute to the Great Ray Ronnei[10].
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Kane, Karla (2023-11-22). "Nathan's Fearless Five, fronted by high school junior Nathan Tokunaga, plays regular gigs in Palo Alto and San Francisco". The Almanac. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Orozco, Donna (2024-04-10). "49th Jazzaffair in Three Rivers this weekend". Visalia Times Delta. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Concerts on the Corner". Christ Presbyterian Church in Terra Linda. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Carling, Gunhild (2024-06-26). "Gunhild Carling Big Band: Jazz is my Lifestyle – CD". GUNHILD CARLING SHOP. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c "About | Nathan Tokunaga". Nathan Tokunaga Jazz. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Shaw, Lew (2021-09-24). "Jazz Jottings October 2021". The Syncopated Times. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco (2021-06-19). Healdsburg Jazz Festival makes a sizzling comeback. Retrieved 2024-09-21 – via YouTube.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Summer Stage – Alex Mendham & Orchestra". filoli. 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2024-09-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Backdraft Jazz Band, by Backdraft Jazz Band". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Huntington Palace Jazz Band, by Huntington Palace Jazz Band". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2024-09-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)