Biography
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Shu Odamura is a New York–based guitarist, improviser, composer, and teacher originally from Kyoto, Japan. He was the youngest finalist in the Gibson Jazz Guitar Contest, where he received the Special Jury Prize. In 2006, he moved to the U.S. to study at Berklee College of Music and graduated cum laude with a degree in Jazz Composition.
Shu has been a key collaborator on many projects, studio recordings, and live performances in New York. His collaborators include Matt Moore, Campbell Petersen, Zac Zinger, Javier Arau, Patrick Brennan, Joseph Daley, Jeff Pearring, Cheryl Pyle, Trevor Bajus, Haruna Fukazawa, Randy Pradera, Sumie Kaneko, Bruce Huebner, Watoku Ueno, Chris Ignacio, and many others. He leads his own group, Shu Odamura Trio, and co-leads the chamber jazz ensemble Jazz Triangle 65-77, as well as the Miwa Watanabe/Shu Odamura Duo. His debut album, "Cloud Illusions", was released on What’s New Records and is available on CD and all major streaming platforms. Alongside his jazz work, Shu has spent over a decade composing and performing with the experimental theater group Watoku-Za, contributing music to eight original productions. His compositions and arrangements also include scores for independent films, college jazz big bands, flute ensembles, and virtual theater projects. Shu has performed at major venues and festivals in New York such as Blue Note, Nublu, Downtown Music Gallery, iBeam, La MaMa Puppet Festival, and the Queens Overground Jazz Fest, as well as nationally at Edgefest (MI), Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares (MA), Williamstown Theatre Festival (MA) and Foxwoods Casino (CT). Internationally, he tours throughout Japan and Thailand. He is an in-demand guitarist across a variety of styles—from Asian pop to jazz, experimental, Latin, and musical theater. As a teacher, Shu has taught at the Yamaha Music Conservatory in New Jersey and currently teaches at Queens Music School as well as through his private studio. |