The leader of this captivating debut album, Yoko Yates is the celebrated composer of the soundtrack for the award-winning documentary film Mothers’ Way, Daughters’ Choice filmed in NYC. Yoko Yates pianist/composer/educator grew up in Hokkaido, Japan, the northernmost island where the vast ancient and ingenious nature is still intact. Yates’ compositional style and ideas are hugely influenced and inspired by her formative years surrounded by this unique environment. Graduating from Berklee with a B.A. in music, summa cum laude, she went on to receive a Master’s degree in education from Lesley University in Cambridge (MA). She furthered her studies at Columbia University, Teachers College (NY) for doctoral study in music education. While being a member of the piano faculty at Greenwich House Music School in Manhattan and at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music since 1996, Yoko has maintained a performing career as a pianist and sometimes as a vocalist, and has been particularly active as a composer. “Yoko Yates’ finely crafted original compositions shine brightly with beautiful performances by all. This is a noteworthy first CD.” (Scott Lee - producer) “Yoko’s music is imaginative, fun, beautiful and natural. It incorporates a variety of genres and has an emotional depth that hits my heart. Her unique style appeals not only to jazz enthusiasts but to a broader audience”. (David Gahan - lead vocal Depeche Mode, Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2020 “Going beyond what words can express”. (Kyoko Gasha - documentary film director and Reuters journalist)