Mister Kelly’s, Osaka

New Century Jazz Quintet is an ensemble featuring jazz musicians from the US and Japan. Members include Benny Benack (trumpet), Tim Green (alto sax), Takeshi Ohbayashi (piano), Yasushi Nakamura (bass), and Ulysses Owens (drums). When the group performed in Japan last year, trumpeter Benny Benack explained how they try to “find new ways to arrange classic standards, as well as exciting new original songs.”
KS caught up with Benack again recently before the upcoming visit to Japan and with a new album to promote. He said, “This album is more of a ‘concept’ album for NCJQ, focusing on including more traditional funk/soul ‘groove’-based elements, added to the hard-swinging, straight-ahead sound our fans know and love! We hope everyone can groove right along with us for our new album: Soul Conversion!”