Tomas Fujiwara

Tomas Fujiwara is a Brooklyn-based drummer, composer, and band leader. Described as “a ubiquitous presence in the New York scene… an artist whose urbane writing is equal to his impressively nuanced drumming” (Point of Departure), Tomas is an active player in some of the most exciting music of the current generation, with his bands (Triple Double, 7 Poets Trio, and Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up) his collaborative duo with cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, the collective trio Thumbscrew (with Mary Halvorson and Michael Formanek), and a diversity of creative work with Anthony Braxton, John Zorn, Mary Halvorson, Matana Roberts, Joe Morris, Taylor Ho Bynum, Nicole Mitchell, Ben Goldberg, Tomeka Reid, Amir ElSaffar, Benoit Delbecq, and many others. “Drummer Tomas Fujiwara works with rhythm as a pliable substance, solid but ever shifting. His style is forward-driving but rarely blunt or aggressive, and never random. He has a way of spreading out the center of a pulse while setting up a rigorous scaffolding of restraint… A conception of the drum set as a full-canvas instrument, almost orchestral in its scope” (New York Times).

Illegal Crowns is a collective quartet that brings together the long-time collaborative trio of guitarist Mary Halvorson, drummer Tomas Fujiwara, and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, with the French pianist Benoît Delbecq. All four artists are critically recognized as leading figures in contemporary music, and have created multiple original compositions written specifically for this group. The band has recorded two albums (the self-titled debut album released in 2016, and The No-Nosed Puppet released in 2019, both on the RogueArt label) and has toured throughout Europe and Canada, and will be making its long overdue US debut with this tour.