Toshi Makihara

Press Quotes


"A volcano of musical energy and ideas.. -"
Miriam Seidel, Seven Arts Magazine, Philadelphia


"a disciplined percussionist with a full sound on his kit,
a precise technician, and a group player with fast reflexes.. -"
Ed Hazell, The Boston Phoenix


"Impressive live and nuanced drumming -"
Anna Kisselgoff, New York Times


"Toshi Makihara is a performance unto himself - "
Nancy Goldner, Philadelphia Inquirer


"Makihara is an attentive, responsive and meticulous percussionist.
His deft contributions fill out the sound picture
of these carefully constructed improvisations - "
Barry Withdrew, WIRE


"Percussionist Toshi Makihara is an amazingly subtle colorist...
as Makihara's brushwork give the music considerable space
in addition to wide dynamic range.."
Jon Morgan, Signal to Noise


"Makihara has a sculptural approach: he stacks layers of
timbres and registers together at once, but his attack is
sparse enough to leave plenty of sonic space.
Makihara's sound is both shimmering and propelling."
Wyman Brantley, The Improvisor


"Makihara's improvisational wit which incorporated dance, visual puns,
and a battered Wile E. Coyote doll provoked delight,
while his powerful, precise drumming inspired awe."
Lee Gardner, Baltimore City Paper


"Toshi Makihara has that stream of controlled energy and texture
that pushes things ever forward. "
Nels Cline


"Drummer Makihara's distinctive fluttery feather-duster brushwork
is immensely appealing..."
Rubberneck


"The wizard of sonic improv, Makihara has always been a wildly physical
performer, and his grimaces and wide-angled moves around the single
drum surrounded it with an anticipatory aura, making us almost
see the silence from which his Cage-y sounds arose."
Miriam Seidel, Philadelphia Inquirer


"Makihara is on particularly staggering form - his nuts-and-bolts approach
to percussive detail colliding with some supremely assertive rhythmic
interventions."
David Keenan, Edinburgh Sunday Herald, Scotland


"Makihara has a Zen-like minimalism throughout, making every percussive
moment seem necessary and lean."
Dan Rose, OneFinalNote.com


"Toshi Makihara, a true one forges of chasing rhythms."
(Toshi Makihara, una vera fucina di ritmi incalzanti.)
All About Jazz (Italy), Homepage


"Makihara's quick wit on the traps turns his drum kit into a conversation at the Algonquin Round Table."
Shaun Brady, Philadelphia City Paper