BIGYUKI Band with Tomoaki Baba

BIGYUKI (piano, keyboards, bass synthetiser), Randy Runyon (guitar), Jharis Yokley (drums), Tomoaki Baba (tenor sax)

Masayuki Hirano, better known as BIGYUKI, is an innovative composer and exceptional keyboard player who infuses Jazz, soul, hip-hop, rock and electronic music to his sound, often energetic and electrifying, always at the cutting edge and packed with groove.

Having made the move from Japan to New York, BIGYUKI started playing in jam sessions until, at one of them, acclaimed drummer Saru Jones was so impressed with the mastery of his keyboard skills that he invited the Japanese musician to join the band he was putting together for Talib Kweli. He later played with the rapper Bilal and with Robert Glasper. Hence his reputation as a session musician spread parallel to perfecting his personal sound as a musician.

In 2016 he played with Jon Batiste’s band for two months on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert as well as appearing on J. Cole’s album 4 Your Eyez Only (2016). That same year he also played and composed for the latest album from A Tribe Called Quest, We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service (2016).

Since touring with Kamasi Washington’s band in 2019 and playing with Lauryn Hill’s band in 2021, BIGYUKI has performed non-stop. He has taken to the stage as a soloist all over the world, worked and toured with José James and Antonio Sánchez, recorded with Kassa Overall and launched a project using AI technology.

He is currently working on a new album expected to see the light in 2024.