Yoko Suzuki Trio

Join for an evening of jazz with the Yoko Suzuki Trio!

Yoko Suzuki is an alto saxophonist working in Pittsburgh and New York City. She started to play the alto saxophone upon joining a jazz ensemble at Osaka University in Japan, teaching herself jazz theory, improvisation and repertoire. After working as a musician in Osaka, Japan and New York City, she moved to Pittsburgh in 2006. She received a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology and a PhD certificate in women’s studies at the University of Pittsburgh in 2011. She has taught a wide variety of courses including “Jazz Improvisation,” “History of Jazz,” “Introduction to Feminist Theory,” and “Gender and Sexuality in Black Popular Music” at the University of Pittsburgh. A Youngstown native, Cliff Barnes, has been working as a professional musician since he was 11. He plays the piano, the organ, and the bass in diverse genres including gospel, funk, R&B, and jazz. He has performed internationally with David Sanborn, Pieces of a Dream, Gerald Veasely, and Johnny Gill just to name a few. Most recently, Cliff appeared on Marcus Miller’s album, Afrodeezia (2015). Tutored by his father, a legendary jazz pianist, James Johnson III has been playing the drums since the age of 5 and has been a regular fixture in local jazz circles since he was 15. He has toured with legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, launching his worldwide career. James is a drum instructor at the University of Pittsburgh. As a trio, they have been performing in and around the Pittsburgh area since 2014.