Hailing originally from Tokyo, Japan, Rintaro Mikami is a jazz drummer, percussionist and composer based in New York City. Known for a wide range dynamics, supportive orchestration, and narrative performance and compositions, Rintaro draws from a jazz tradition to a range of influences from rock to world cultural music such as Brazilian.
His latest album titled “First Fish” has received high praise from various major media outlets. Featuring pianist Henry Plotnick, guitarist Omri Bar Giora, bassist Bar Filipowicz, saxophonist David Truilo, harmonicist Ariel Bart, and singer Lily Resnikoff, the album comprises his eight original compositions that reflect his childhood memories spent on a small island, woven together into a cohesive narrative akin to a cinematic experience. Jazz Trail, one of the renowned jazz review website, described that “Mikami’s core quintet shares an intimate connection that reflects on the tunes, and his sensitive drumming style showcases a penchant for playing melodically on the kit that is reminiscent of Brian Blade and Manu Katché.” The title track “First Fish” won both the Best Jazz Song and Best Lyrics Song awards at the 18th season of the Munich Music Video Awards. He celebrated the album’s release with a successful show at Nublu 151, a renowned venue in New York City.
As a sideman, Rintaro has performed, toured, and recorded worldwide with various musicians and projects. He has been a main drummer of Carlin Lee’s Wind Symphony Project since 2023, and has done numerous performances including the one with the Eastern Wind Symphony at Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium. In 2019, he joined a contemporary jazz band called Deeper Dreamer, which consists of himself, Ariel Bart, Taka Nawashiro, Hanna Inui and Vicious Cajado, and has done many shows throughout the year including 2020 Jazz Education Network conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana, and PJS Jazz Society’s Second Sunday concert March 8th 2020 in the First Presbyterian Church in Mount Vernon, curated by one of the historically renowned jazz bassists, Reggie Workman. Their first record “Deeper Dreamer” on September 1st 2020. Other notable artists and projects he has worked with include Ester Wiesnerova, David Truilo, Nori Naraoka, Naoya Ogura Band, noonmoon, Iseul Kim, and more.
He holds Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, having worked with acclaimed researchers on various topics in the field of teaching music such as Carl Allen, Ari Hoenig, Allison Miller, Kush Abadey, and Keita Ogawa.
Rintaro is endorsed with a Japanese drums company, Canopus Drums, which has world renowned endorsers such as Brian Blade, Kenny Washington, and Harvey Mason.