Instrumental musicians who have participated in Johnny's songs

1. PE’Z (Participated in NEWS' "Say Hello")

The group that participated in "Say Hello," which was included on NEWS' 1st album "touch," is a jazz band formed around trumpet player Ohyama "B.M.W" Wataru. Their jazzy, cool performance backing the eight members at the time is really great, isn't it?

They are called a "Samurai Jazz Band" for their musical style that incorporates rock and Latin influences. Keyboardist H ZETT M (Masayuki Hiizumi) was also a member of the first generation of Tokyo Jihen from 2004 to 2005, and in recent years, he has participated in recordings, live support, and duets with Ringo Sheena.

Despite boasting unusual popularity for an instrumental band, they disbanded in 2015.

2. →Pia-no-jaC← (Participated in Arashi/Kazunari Ninomiya's "1992*4##111")

→Pia-no-jaC← participated in the solo song "1992*4##111," which was included on "Boku no Miteiru Fukei" and produced by Arashi's Ninomiya himself.

It is said that Ninomiya, who loves video games, felt drawn to →Pia-no-jaC← because they also cover game music, and he personally reached out to them with an offer.

→Pia-no-jaC← is a duo consisting of HAYATO (Piano) and HIRO (Cajon). The arrow is read as "Piano" from the left and "Cajon" from the right, and the name means "to hijack a live space with two instruments: piano and cajon."

Their appeal lies in their powerful performances of classical and soundtrack covers, as well as original songs, using only a keyboard and percussion, which are sometimes aggressive and sometimes elegant.

3. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (Participated in Kanjani Eight's "Musekinin Hero jam with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra")

On the best-of album released at the time of Subaru Shibutani's departure, a newly recorded version of "Musekinin Hero" performed by Kanjani Eight and the Ska Paradise Orchestra was included.

While focusing mainly on Jamaican-born ska, the Ska Paradise Orchestra incorporates various types of music into their performances as a ska band. Formed in 1989, they established their status as an instrumental band, and since 2001, they have also incorporated vocal tracks through collaborations with other musicians, remaining active not only in Japan but on the world stage.

4. Taro Hakase (Participated in Kanjani Eight's "Osaka Romanesque feat. Taro Hakase")

Also included at the time of Shibutani's departure was a newly recorded version of the classic song "Osaka Romanesque," featuring Taro Hakase.

Violinist Taro Hakase is known for popular songs such as "Jounetsu Tairiku," the theme song of the program of the same name, its ending theme "Etupirka," and "Himawari," the theme song for the morning drama "Teppan." He is also known for his collaborations with various musicians, including Celine Dion, Yuzu, Namie Amuro, Mika Nakashima, and Tomoyasu Hotei.

5. H ZETTRIO (SixTONES "NAVIGATOR (H ZETTRIO Crossover Rearrange)")

H ZETTRIO is the band performing in this jazz-arranged version video of SixTONES' "NAVIGATOR".

H ZETTRIO is a piano trio consisting of three members on piano, acoustic bass, and drums. They are known for H ZETT M's "zero-gravity playing style," which is supported by the sharp performance of the rhythm section. They are active globally, having performed at the closing ceremony of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Incidentally, there is a theory that the members of H ZETTRIO are three of the members of PE'Z mentioned earlier, but the members themselves gently deny it.

What do you think? If you pay attention to the credits of Johnny's songs, you can sometimes find the names of interesting musicians. It makes me realize once again that as a group representing Japanese entertainment, they really incorporate a diverse range of music.

#Johnnys #PEZ #NEWS #PianojaC #Arashi #KazunariNinomiya #TokyoSkaParadiseOrchestra #Skapara #Kanjani #TaroHakase #SixTONES #HZETTRIO