Jazz and Electronics: Mai Sugimoto & Kikù Hibino

AIRMW presents a two-part evening of jazz and electronics. The first set introduces a solo electronics performance by Kikù Hibino and the second set features Chicago-based Japanese sax player Mai Sugimoto and her jazz trio.

Mai Sugimoto is a Japanese born saxophonist and composer living in Chicago, IL. In 2018, she released her debut quartet album, Born/Raised (Asian Improv Records) which was made possible by an artist grant from the city of Chicago. Sugimoto is an integral member of Chicago–based quartet, Hanami, that has released two albums and appeared in Chicago Jazz Festival. She often appears with bassist, Tatsu Aoki’s ensemblesincluding Fred Anderson Legacy Band and Miyumi Project.Howard Reich of Chicago Tribune has described her “a compelling performer” with “dry–champagnetone and lyrical lines.” Sugimoto channels inspiration from her Japanese and American musical roots into writing and performing with various groups.

KIKÙ HIBINO is a Chicago-based and Japanese-born sound artist and has been producing cross-genre electronic music.  From chamber music for media productions to digital micro sound for art installations, he has collaborated internationally with a wide variety of artists and scholars, including Kawaguchi Takao (Dumb Type), Curtis Roads, Theaster Gates , Mike Weis (Zelienople) and Norma Field. He studied electronic music composition at University of California at Santa Barbara under the mentorship of Curtis Roads and Karen Tanaka, and holds M.A. in media art and technology. B.A. in policy management from Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus in 2002, where he minored electronic music composition under the mentorship of Toru Iwatake, Atau Tanaka, and Christopher Penrose.