About Me
Old Fashioned Music 代表
上東裕嗣（Kamihigashi Yuji）
幼少期からアメリカ文化に強い憧れを持ち、映画”Back to the Future”のギターシーンに衝撃を受け、ギターを手に取る。何度かの欧米留学を経験して、様々な文化や音楽、言語に触れて、Early Jazz やSwing Jazzに出会う。Charlie Christian 以前のギタリストたちの魅力に気づき、アコースティックアーチトップギターのスタイルを継承するスイングギタリストを目指す。
ウクレレ奏者でもあり、現在は、ギターやウクレレの教則本の執筆も手掛け、音楽を通した教育にも力を注ぎ、関西を中心に演奏活動とレッスンを続ける。また、InstagramやYouTubeの動画配信も積極的に行い、日本のみならず、海外でも高評価を得ている。
2024年4月、Morris FingerPicking Dayに出場、”アコースティックギターマガジン賞”を受賞。
2024年7月、毎年韓国で開催されているアジア最大のスイングダンスイベント「Jeju Swing Camp」に出演。
2024年8月、イギリスの出版社より、戦前ジャズギターのスタイルに特化した”Early Jazz Guitar Chord Soloing”を出版。（Amazonで購入open_in_new）
近年は精力的に、日本や海外のミュージシャンとの交流を深め、動画配信やコンサートも行っている。今後、様々なコラボレーションが予定されているので、ご期待ください。
Early Jazz Guitarの伝統を継承し、自分自身の強みを活かし、自身のスタイルを貫くスイングギタリストを目指します。
Yuji Kamihigashi had a very deep influence of American culture even since he was a child. He was so impressed by the guitar scene in the movie “Back to the Future” that he instantly picked up a guitar. After studying abroad in Europe and the U.S., he was exposed to various music, cultures, and languages. Finally he found Early Jazz and Swing Jazz so fascinating, and he especially discovered the appeal of guitarists before Charlie Christian, such as Eddie Lang, Carl Kress, Dick McDonough, George Van Eps and Allan Reuss. Yuji is becoming one of the rarest swing guitarist in the world with flavours of early jazz guitarists playing acoustic archtop guitars (as well as Electric archtop guitars).
Yuji is also a ukulelist and multi-instrumentalist. Currently, he writes instructional books of guitars as well as ukulele and focuses on education through music. He continues to perform and teach string instruments mainly in the Kansai area, in Japan. He also actively distributes videos on Instagram and YouTube, and is highly acclaimed not only in Japan but also overseas.
In April 2024, he participated in the Morris FingerPicking Day in Japan and won the “Acoustic Guitar Magazine Award”.
In July 2024, he performed at “Jeju Swing Camp”, the largest swing dance event in Asia, held annually in Korea.
In August 2024, his book “Early Jazz Guitar Chord Soloing” was published by a British publisher, specializing in prewar jazz guitar styles. (Amazon salesopen_in_new)
In recent years, he has been actively engaging in exchanges with musicians in Japan as well as other countries such as Asaba Hirofumi (link), Denis Chang (link), Jonathan Stout(link) and more. He has also been performing concerts and distributing video clips with many musicians. Stay tuned for various collaborations with them in the near future.
Inheriting the tradition of Early Jazz Guitar, he aims to be a swing guitarist with his own strengths and his own style.