Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Ensemble (ONJE) was a Japanese electroacoustic improv/free jazz/experimental group directed by a composer, sound producer, turntablist and guitarist Otomo Yoshihide as an expansion to his New Jazz Quintet and preceding an even larger Orchestra. Yoshihide initially brought together the 9-piece Ensemble in the autumn of 2001 to record a follow-up to ONJQ's debut album Flutter, which came out a few months earlier on John Zorn's New York-based label Tzadik. The Dreams CD was published in March 2002 and included four songs by guest vocalists Jun Togawa and Phew, promoted by Zorn as the "first release outside of Japan featuring two of Japan's quirkiest underground pop stars."
In the summer of 2004, the New Jazz Ensemble gave its first live concerts in Japan, performing as a septet with Sachiko M, Alfred Harth on saxophones, who also became the Quintet's fifth member after Kikuchi left in February '04, and Kumiko Takara (vibraphone). ONJE participated in several European festivals, including Era New Horizons in Cieszyn, Poland and label in Marseille, France. In 2005, the Ensemble embarked on a largescale tour with nine musicians plus Kahimi Karie as a guest vocalist, performing 15+ shows in March and May in Japan, France, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and the UK. A few tracks from ONJE's performance at label festival in northern suburbs of Paris, including Eric Dolphy's "Hat & Beard," Jim O'Rourke's "Eureka" and Charlie Haden's "Song For Che," subsequently appeared on Otomo's 2011 2991486 DVD compilation.
Initial line-up (Sept/Nov 2001)
Otomo Yoshihide — electric & acoustic guitars, prepared acoustic guitar
Tsugami Kenta — alto & soprano saxophones
Hiroaki Mizutani — contrabass
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki — drums, trumpet, percussion
Naruyoshi Kikuchi — soprano & tenor saxophones
Sachiko M — sinewaves
Tatsuki Masuko — Yamaha DX7, Roland SH-101, effects, noises
Jun Togawa — vocals, crystal microphone
Phew — vocals
Live ONJE septet (2004)
Otomo — guitars
Tsugami — saxophones
Mizutani — bass
Yoshigaki — drums
Sachiko M — sinewaves
Alfred Harth — reeds
Kumiko Takara܍ — vibraphone
܍ at some shows, Phew — vocals
Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Big Band (July 2004)
One live performance at Kyoto University, Kyoto
Otomo — guitars
Harth — reeds
Tsugami — saxophones
Mizutani — bass
Yoshigaki — drums
Sachiko M — sinewaves
Takara — vibraphone
Masayasu Tzboguchi — french horn
Ko Ishikawa — sho
Kahimi Karie — vocals
Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Ensemble Film Special (Nov 2004)
One concert, performing a live soundtrack for "Keisatsukan" silent film at Yurakucho Asahi Hall, Tokyo
Otomo — composition, guitar, misc
Tsugami — saxophone
Takara — vibraphone, percussion
Yoshigaki — drums, trumpet
Hirohiko Otsubo — contrabass
Tatsuro Kondo — harmonica, keyboards
Taisei Aoki — trombone
Live ONJE nonet (March-May 2005)
Otomo — guitars
Harth — reeds
Tsugami — saxophones
Mizutani — bass
Yoshigaki — drums
Sachiko M — sinewaves
Takara — vibraphone
Mats Gustafsson — tenor & baritone saxophones
Axel Dörner — trumpet