# Shinobu Ito (musician)

Shinobu Ito (Japanese: 伊東忍, Hepburn: Itō Shinobu) is a jazz-fusion guitarist who was born in Ōiso, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

## Early career In Japan (1951-1975)

While a young boy, he was interested in American pop songs, so his father bought him a guitar and gave him lessons.
Shinobu devoted great efforts to his study of the guitar and eventually developed an ambition to become a noted guitarist in the future. In junior high school, he organized his own pop instrumental group and performed at various musical events. He became interested in jazz guitar during his high school days when he heard Wes Montgomery.
While attending Tokai University, Shinobu studied with the respected guitar teacher, Ikuo Shiozaki, and became a member of the university’s Jazz Circle.
He also began his professional career at this time, performing at clubs, TV and on recording sessions.

## Los Angeles Era (1975-1976)

In 1975, Shinobu experienced a great culture shock socially and musically during a 6-month stay in Los Angeles. During this period in L.A. Shinobu met Toshiko Akiyoshi, who introduced him to many musicians and strongly suggested to him that he go to New York to learn and play jazz on his next visit to the States.
When he did returned to Japan in 1975, Shinobu joined Jazz vocalist Yoshiko Kimura’s group and also resumed activities with well-known musicians such as Kosuke Mine, Seiichi Nakamura, Shigeharu Mukai, Hidefumi Toki and Takao Uematsu and others. He also had opportunities to play with Tete Montoliu, Bill Reichenbach, Ronnie Foster, Stanley Banks, and Dennis Davis.
Also in 1977, Swing Journal Magazine in Japan chose him as one of the most popular 20 Jazz guitarists.

## Developments in New York City (1977- )

In keeping with his plan, Shinobu returned to the United States in 1977 and settled in New York City and soon he became a member of a large ensemble band directed by Reggie Workman, which performed for festivals mainly at Brooklyn area.
He also joined Teruo Nakamura & his Rising Sun Band in 1978 and became involved in various other musical activities mostly in the New York area.
Additionally, Shinobu appeared on pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto’s album P.S. I Love You.
Some of the many musicians he played with at this time include: Jo Jones, Sadik Hakim, John Orr, Tommy Turrentine, Bob Mintzer, Rickey Ford and Kenny Kirkland, Kyle Hicks and others.
In 1980, he formed and recorded his own first fusion group TO BE TRUE with T.M. Stevens, Kyle Hicks, and Gene Williams in while continuing other musical activities. He would occasionally lead groups at Jazz clubs such as the Blue Note, 55 Bar, the Angry Squire, Pat’s, Eric’s etc., performing with musicians including Valery Ponomarev, Lonnie Plaxico, Eddie Henderson, Lonnie Smith, Jesse Davis, Kenny Davis and Jeff Williams, among others.
Shinobu's one of original song In Love for Keeps was selected by Billboard 1st Annual Song Contest in 1988.
In 1989, Shinobu recorded with pianist Kris Defoort’s 10-piece group who included Mike Formanek, Vincent Herring and Judy Niemack and some other musicians.
Shinobu released his first CD Sailing Rolling (Nippon Crown) in 1991 with Tom Harrell, Danny Gottlieb, Gary King, Mark Soskin and Dick Oates.
This CD made the charts as one of the top ten best sellers in the contemporary jazz category in Japan, and was aired on many TV and FM stations for a long period of time.
Shinobu subsequently joined tenor saxophonist Eric Wyatt’s group and has continued for many years to be active, mainly in the Brooklyn’s Jazz scene.
He has played with countless musicians who are also based in Brooklyn, such as Antonio Hart, Mark Shim, Alvester Garnett, Rodney Green, Lester Bowie, Kenyatta Beasley, Tim Perryman and others.
He also co-produced and performed on Eric Wyatt’s debut CD God Son (King Records) in 1997 with Dan Kostelnik, Al Foster, Rufus Reid, Guilherme Franco and Mark Soskin.
Shinobu also worked as a translator on Saxophone player Jim Snidero's Jazz Conception Study Guide Series by Jim Snidero (ATN. Inc.) in 1998.
Shinobu’s live recording in 1991 at Roppongi Pit Inn in Tokyo was released in 2001 by PJL Japan as One Life to Live (JazzBank) and JazzBank promoted this CD as "a legendary recording in the history of Japanese Jazz-Fusion".
Shinobu’s next CD, on which he plays mostly acoustic guitar, was released in 2002 and is titled as A Tribute to Baden Powell and Antonio Lauro (JazzBank).
In 2002, Shinobu performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival with renowned guitarist Ryo Kawasaki.
Shinobu’s next CD with Seiichi Nakamura was recorded at Shinobu’s own room in New York September 2004, and was released in August 2005 titled as Serenata (JazzBank).

### Frequent round trip between NY & TOKYO (2005-2009)

Shinobu has spent 3 years as an instructor at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music / Jazz Division in Japan, and to do so, He made frequent flights from New York City to Tokyo in year between 2005 & 2007. During this era, his Latin flavored smooth Jazz group RAMONADA was offered to play as a house group at a newly opened Jazz club in Tokyo called CANDY in April 2006. Since then, RAMONADA subsequently performed at here nearly 30 times in 9 months period of time by popular demand with great success.
His CD in this era as a classical guitar duo was recorded in New York City as Musica para Enamorados and it was released in August 2006 from JazzBank label.

### Back to NEW YORK (2009-PRESENT)

Since He came back to New York City in 2009, He is resuming activities at local venues, theater music scene with fellow musicians also as an instructor and producer.
Also he has been published following 4 CDs since then.
* LIVE AT CANDY (Costa del Sol,2013)
* MIDNIGHT SESSION (Costa del Sol, 2019)
* LEGENDARY LIVE (Costa del Sol, 2020)
* MONOCHROME BLUE (Costa del Sol, 2023)

## Discography
### AS LEADER

* SAILING ROLLING (Nippon Crown 1991)
* ONE LIFE TO LIVE (JAZZBANK 2001)
* A TRIBUTE TO BADEN POWELL and ANTONIO LAURO (JAZZBANK 2002)
* SERENATA. Duo with Seiichi Nakamura (JAZZBANK 2005)
* MUSICA PARA ENAMORADOS (JAPANESE TITLE: RAMONADA) (JAZZBANK 2006)
* LIVE AT CANDY (Costa del Sol 2013)
* MIDNIGHT SESSION (Costa del Sol 2019)
* LEGENDARY LIVE (Costa del Sol 2020)
* MONOCHROME BLUE (Costa del Sol 2023)

## As a side man & Producer

* P.S. I LOVE YOU by Tsuyoshi Yamamoto (Toshiba EMI 1980)
* GOD SON by Eric Wyatt (King Records1997)