Emi Makabe Quartet

Making their US tour debut in June 2026, the Emi Makabe Quartet presents a visionary blend of Japanese folk, contemporary jazz, and global rhythms. Featuring an acclaimed lineup—Emi Makabe (vocals/shamisen/flute), Thomas Morgan (bass), Vitor Gonçalves (piano/accordion), and Kenny Wollesen (drums)—the quartet creates a dynamic, emotionally resonant sound centered on Makabe’s unique adaptation of the shamisen (a traditional Japanese lute) to an international context. Following the critical success of their 2025 album Echo (Sunnyside Records), featuring Bill Frisell and Jason Moran, the group continues to offer their singular cross-cultural music to audiences in New York and abroad.