Singer Nanami Jazz Band

Recognized as one of Japan's leading emerging jazz vocalists, Nanami Morikawa won the prestigious Grand-Prix at the Asakusa Jazz Competition in Tokyo (2008), and has been a featured artist at major Japanese jazz festivals. She is highly popular with jazz audiences and appears regularly at all major jazz clubs in western Japan.

Nanami Morikawa recorded her critically acclaimed solo CD in 2010— Open Spaces (New Truth Records). The CD features international jazz pianist Phillip Strange, Larry Marshall (drums), and Tetsuro Aratama (bass). She has also been a featured artist on several international recordings including: vibraphonist/composer Toshihiro Akamatsu’s album Axis, Florida bassist Jamie Ousley’s albums Back Home (T.I.E. Records) and A Sea of Voices (T.I.E. Records).

Born in Osaka, Japan, Nanami Morikawa has a solid and multifaceted foundation of musical experience in support of her vocal artistry. She began music at age 3 by taking violin lessons and later joined a city children's choir at age 10, influenced by her musical mother, who loves singing and playing violin and piano. In 2002, Nanami received her A.A. degree in classical composition from Kobe Yamate College. Later, she became interested in singing jazz when she met her first jazz voice teacher, Yuko Aoki. Over the next 10 years, Nanami studied jazz piano and jazz voice with several teachers while she was performing regularly with popular jazz musicians throughout western Japan. Now she teaches private jazz voice lessons while touring in Japan. Recently, her performing areas have extended to Tokyo, Yokohama, and throughout the United States.

Nanami moved to Miami, Florida in 2012. Currently she is pursuing a B.M. degree in Studio Music and Jazz Vocal Performance at the University of Miami. She continues to tour the U.S. and Japan annually.