Tomohiro Mori
Arthur's Tavern57 Grove Street, New York 10014
Tomohiro Mori is billed for a solo-named appearance at Arthur’s Tavern in Manhattan on November 17. No accompanying performers or special program are listed, so the focus is simply on Mori, a drummer, composer and educator whose work has taken him from Japan to New York’s professional music scene.
Born in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1992, Mori began on drums at three and piano at five, growing up in a family band that played Beatles covers. He formed a jazz band with friends at 13, then received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music at 17. His teachers there included Ralph Peterson Jr., Terri Lyne Carrington, Kenny Washington, Rodney Green, Darren Barrett, Dave Santoro and Hal Crook. Based in New York City as a professional musician since September 2015, Mori released his debut album, Grand Slam, that December and toured Japan for its release with Takeshi Ohbayashi, Tamir Shmerling and Braxton Cook. His second album, Uptown Bound, arrived in December 2017, followed by another Japanese release tour.
Arthur's Tavern is a basement club in the West Village where jazz, Latin, and blues are played with deep roots and modern energy. The stage is small, the room intimate, and the audience sits close to the musicians, often with a few people standing near the back. Shows start around 5 PM and go late, with some sets extending into the early hours. The club has a history of hosting top-tier performers since 2001, including regular appearances by Yuichi Hirakawa Jazz Group. It's a place where music is the center, and conversation flows naturally between the audience and the performers.