David Yamasaki
David Yamasaki (guitar) studied ethnomusicology at the University of Washington, Seattle, and guitar at Berklee College of Music, Boston, before receiving a BA from California State University, Hayward in classical guitar performance and an MA in compositon. He has recorded with Tito Puente, Sheila E., Pete Escovedo Orchestra, John Santos and the Machete Ensemble, Wayne Wallace and Rhythm and Rhyme, Jesse Manibusan, Aaron Aranita, and Deems (Na Hoku Hanohano award nominee, 2018 and 2023) He has performed with Lou Rawls, Louie Bellson, Dianne Schuur, Eddie Fisher, Faye Carol, Little Anthony and the Imperials, the Forty Niner Band, Lydia Pense and Cold Blood, Fred Berry, and Frederica Von Stade, and in music videos and film. He has written scores for two PBS productions and charts for Ramsey Lewis. David has been teaching at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for over 20 years.
Discography
2003 - From Me To You
2012 - Hawaii 5/4
2024 - Almost Home with Groovology
2026 - A Christmas Wish
MY MUSICAL JOURNEY
My musical journey began in Seattle, Washington. Some of my earliest musical memories are of standing on the pedals of a piano, reaching up to the keyboard, pressing the keys, and watching—and listening—as the sound came out of the instrument. I was fascinated by the connection between touching the instrument and creating music.
In the fourth grade, I began studying piano and violin. By middle school, I had picked up the guitar, and by high school I was fortunate to become part of the Franklin High School jazz ensemble. Those years were especially memorable because I had the opportunity to play alongside musicians who would go on to have remarkable careers, including Kenny G and Phillip Woo.
Another important influence during those Seattle years was the great pianist Deems Tsutakawa, who became a lifelong friend and mentor. I also had the opportunity to study music with Jerry Gray. After high school, I continued my musical education at Berklee in Boston.
In 1979, I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, hoping to experience a wider and more diverse musical community. That move became a major turning point in my life. The Bay Area exposed me to an incredible range of musical styles, traditions, and musicians. Along the way, I was fortunate to play with artists such as steel drummer Jeff Narell, percussionist Pete Escovedo, and trombonist Wayne Wallace. Each of these experiences expanded my musical world and changed the way I thought about rhythm, harmony, improvisation, and collaboration.
In 1992, I married Joan. After a trip to Maui, we began thinking seriously about making Hawaiʻi our home. Eventually, in 2003, we made the move.
We fell in love with island life.
Looking back, these two recordings tell part of that journey. From Me to You, recorded in 2003, reflects the years I spent in the San Francisco Bay Area and the musicians and experiences that shaped me there. Hawaii 5/4, recorded in 2011, represents the bridge between my Bay Area musical life and the new chapter we began in Hawaiʻi.
Music has taken me to many places and introduced me to people who have become friends, mentors, and family. These recordings are a small reflection of that journey.
I am grateful to everyone who has shared the road with me—and especially to Joan, for sharing the journey itself.
From Seattle, to Boston, to the Bay Area, and finally to Hawaiʻi… the journey continues.
