Singing Instruments — music that speaks across languages

Trumpet

Chihiro Yamazaki

山崎 千裕

Trumpet player and bandleader. A graduate of Tokyo University of the Arts (after the affiliated High School of Music), Chihiro is known for a vocal trumpet tone — phrasing that sings rather than recites. She studied with Mineo Sugiki, Yoshiaki Fukuda, D. Herzog, and Hiro Noguchi. In 2014 she made her major-label debut with the solo album GOOD ONE on Sony Music Artists. In 2016 the trio Sankaku-Kankei feat. Takuya Miura (with pianist Ryo Sonoda and guitarist Takuya Miura of DEPAPEPE) released its 1st album on King Records, followed by Sweet thing (2017) and Suteki-Kankei (2019). Alongside touring and session work, she performs as a member of the Blue Note Tokyo All-Star Jazz Orchestra — directed by trumpet master Eric Miyashiro — sharing the stage with Bob James, Steve Gadd, INCOGNITO, Chris Potter, and Lisa Ono.

Drums

Satoshi Yamashita

山下 智

Drummer, manager, and the band's organizational backbone. Started drumming in high school, made his CD debut at 23 with an earlier band, and co-founded Chihiro Yamazaki + ROUTE14band in 2011. Established TYCompany LLC in 2012, which now operates the band's label, event production, and management — with two companies in Japan and one in Memphis, Tennessee. Outside music, Satoshi runs Tonkatsu Yamashita (Fuchu-Honmachi, opened 2019) and Yokohama JOURNEY (Kannai, opened 2020) — the latter housing a recording studio attached to the venue. He builds out his own restaurants by hand, and is equally at ease behind a kit, a kitchen counter, and a power tool.

Bass

Koji Yamamoto

山本 浩二

Bass player. A graduate of Shobi Music College, where he studied bass under Tsuyoshi Takayama. Years of session and band work have built him a reputation for the kind of live, in-the-room playing that holds a band together. Outside music he works in air-conditioning installation and electrical contracting, with a long client list that trusts his work.

Keyboards

Hana Takami

高見 英

Keyboardist and composer. Began studying piano and Electone at Yamaha Music School under Yasuko Osato, and composition under Takekuni Hirayoshi. Spent three years at the Yamaha Academy of Music Professional Keyboard course (2004–2007). Has supported the J-POP unit Wakaba on keys since her student years, and currently performs as a touring keyboardist for Hiroyuki Sato (ex-Hikaru Genji), Mayu Hanafusa, and Miho Matsuda, in addition to writing for other artists. Began solo piano performances in May 2022 and released her 1st original album WHITE LINE on September 10 of that year. She writes with a vocalist's instinct — melodies that evoke a scene and carry a feeling.

Guitar, Rap

Miz

Guitarist, photographer, and rapper. Has been with ROUTE14band since the band's earliest days. On stage he plays guitar and raps; off stage he's behind a camera — a one-of-a-kind presence in the band.

Guitar

Ryota Hosaka

保坂 亮太

Guitarist. Born 1984 in Iwate, based in Saitama. Picked up guitar in middle school and played through high school. Moved to Saitama for Shobi University's School of Arts & Information, where he majored in arrangement and music programming, taking on arrangement and karaoke production work while still a student. After a stint in publishing, he joined a record label as an A&R director, producing masters across jazz/fusion and adjacent genres while playing guitar in his own bands on the side. Went independent in 2020 to run his own music management practice — and joined Chihiro Yamazaki + ROUTE14band on guitar the same year. Plays with a deep funk/blues feel.

Keyboards, Synth Bass

Hiroaki Idaka

井高 寛朗

Keyboardist, synth-bass player, and composer. From Ritto, Shiga. Began Electone at Yamaha Music School at age 7 — spent his teens deep in arrangement, composition, and competitions. Started band work at 20 and switched from Electone to piano and keys at 24. Worked in the Kansai music scene for ten years before relocating to Tokyo in 2016. In 2019 he served as bandmaster and pianist for the musical play Wasureteramoraenai no Uta, starring Shota Yasuda (Kanjani Eight). In 2022 he handled music and performance for Saisei, a reading-theatre piece in the Nihon no Geki Drama Awards 2021 series. He played on keyboardist Keizo Kawano's 2nd album BEST FRIENDS and the accompanying release shows. Today he works fluidly across composition, arrangement, and performance.