Gentle Forest Jazz Band are a 21-piece big band led by modern vaudevillian gentleman Kubota. Since its formation in 2005, they have been developing new entertainment by incorporating a modern perspective into danceable swing jazz. The exciting and laughter-filled live performance by the 17-person instrumental corps and vocal trio “Gentle Forest Sisters” is a masterpiece. They have been exposed to a wide range of media, including appearances at jazz festivals, collaborations with comedians, and providing songs for movies and commercials, making them one of the busiest big bands in Japan.
The band consists of the following musicians: Gentle Kubota (leader, command, tb) / Motoki Murakami (tp) / Risaburo Matsuki (tp) / Kenichi Akatsuka (tp) / Yusuke Sase (tp) / Keita Harigae (tb) / Masanobu Otagaki “OTG” (tb) / Shintaro Takahashi (tb) / Tomohisa Ishikawa (btb) / Hiroki Tada (as/cl) / Hiroshi Kanno (as/harmonica) / Mitsuharu Ouchi (ts/fl/picc) / Makoto Ueno (ts) Yuki Kojima (bs) ) / Kota Kaihori (PF) / Yuta Kaji (G) / Toshio Fujino “Digi” (WB) / Masanao Matsushita (DS).
Gentle Kutoba was born in Tokyo in 1978 and raised in Kanagawa. After graduating from high school, he tried to train as a gardener as a live-in teacher, but he hit a wall and gave up. He discovered the trombone at Wako University, which he entered at the age of 22 to make a fresh start. While in school, he mastered the trombone with incredible practice, but got a job at a high-end eyeglass store. While selling glasses, he formed his own entertainment big band, Gentle Forest Jazz Band, in 2005. In 2007, at the invitation of his close friend Kenta Hamano, he joined Zainichi Funk as a trombonist. After retiring from a high-end eyeglass store in 2010, he has been active as a trombonist, host, narrator, and actor.
Gentle Forest 5 & Gentle Forest Sisters are a unit formed by “Gentle Forest 5”, a small group of the 21-member entertainment big band, and 3-person vocal group “Gentle Forest Sisters”. The Gentle Forest Sisters are Yuuichi Deguchi, Miho Kimura and Yuzu Igami. They provide the majority of the vocals for the band.From standard jazz numbers to original numbers that make you laugh, they perform live to bring you the fun and glamor of a gentle band with even more footwork.