Bio
“a ubiquitous presence in the New York scene…an artist whose urbane writing is equal to his impressively nuanced drumming.”
The New York Times
Tomas Fujiwara is a Brooklyn-based drummer and composer motivated by creative curiosity, the visceral power of music, and developing dynamic relationships with artists of all genres. Best known as a member of New York's jazz and improvised music scene, his eclectic 30-year career reflects the full range of the city's cultural palette, including notable ventures into the worlds of theatre, dance, performance art and film.
"Whether I'm leading, collaborating or working as a sideman, I want to be a part of as much music that is meaningful to me as possible," he explains. "Music is a way of connecting, of finding people who share this common passion and learning about them through an affinity in sound. I want to push myself, embrace the unknown, operate on the edge, learn from mistakes and make them beautiful, constantly learning and growing."
"Whether I'm leading, collaborating or working as a sideman, I want to be a part of as much music that is meaningful to me as possible,"
This commitment to exploration and connection is clear in his vast body of work, which is highlighted by longstanding musical partnerships with Taylor Ho Bynum, Mary Halvorson, Tomeka Reid and Matana Roberts as well as the collective ensembles Illegal Crowns and Thumbscrew. His deep and diverse discography includes over 100 recordings as a sideman, co-leader and founder of his own working groups, 7 Poets Trio, Triple Double, and Tomas Fujiwara and The Hook Up.
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His new release, Dream Up (Out of Your Head Records), is a suite commissioned by Roulette/New York Council for the Arts that weaves together his Global influences with the lineage of percussion ensembles like Max Roach's M'Boom. He can also be heard performing solo works for acoustic drum set, playing on the latest recordings from the Amir ElSaffar Quartet and Adam O'Farrill Octet and touring the world with Halvorson's Amaryllis sextet, the current Group of the Year in the DownBeat Critics Poll.
