The Jazz Gallery: Marcus Gilmore & Ryoma Takenaga

The Jazz Gallery ⁠
1158 Broadway, 5th fl⁠ ⁠
(entrance on 27th st)⁠ ⁠
New York NY 10001⁠

Marcus Gilmore – drums
Ryoma Takenaga – bass
Fabian Almazan – piano 

Mentorship has always been a key theme in jazz history. Most of today's great jazz musicians were raised through informal channels and gained invaluable experience working alongside their heroes. Future generations of great jazz will depend on the continuation of this community-minded mentoring tradition that is, unfortunately, becoming less common as jazz education has become more formalized in conservatory and university settings.

 The Jazz Gallery developed its Mentorship Program to cultivate a group of senior-level jazz musicians as mentors and to provide aspiring musicians with the opportunity to learn the music and business of jazz under the guidance of their contemporary heroes. 

 Marcus Gilmore is a multi-Grammy award winning drummer, composer, producer, and educator who has been recognized with numerous awards, residencies, and fellowships – including becoming a 2018 – 2019 Protege in the Rolex Arts Initiative. Gilmore, in all his playing, integrates a unique style where he is musically expanding rhythm, while supporting the great musicians with whom he plays.

Born in New York City, bassist Ryoma Takenaga began studying piano at the age of five before turning to the upright bass at nine. His introduction to jazz at Jazz House Kids, where he studied under the guidance of Christian McBride, played a formative role in shaping his musical direction.

Now twenty-one and pursuing Jazz Studies at New York University, Takenaga is active internationally as a performing and recording artist. He is a member of the Immanuel Wilkins Quartet and has also works in ensembles led by Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) and Lenny White. His collaborators have included Jack DeJohnette, Al Foster, Dianne Reeves, Ravi Coltrane, and Marcus Gilmore. Takenaga is featured as bassist on Immanuel Wilkins: Live at the Village Vanguard, released on Blue Note Records. He has also appeared with the quartet on NPR’s Tiny Desk and performs regularly at major venues including the Carnegie Hall, Village Vanguard, and Blue Notes around the world, as well as at international festivals and concert halls across Europe, Asia, and the United States.