Yucco Miller

Yucco Miller ユッコ・ミラー
Yucco Miller in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Yukiko Onishi (大西由希子)
Also known as	Yucco (ユッコ)
Born	(1990-12-25) December 25, 1990 (age 33) Ise, Mie, Japan
Genres	Jazz jazz fusion
Occupations	Saxophonist composer orchestrator singer YouTuber
Instruments	Alto saxophone tenor saxophone soprano saxophone baritone saxophone EWI
Labels	King Records (2016–present)
YouTube information
Channels	Yucco Miller Yucco Games
Years active	2018–present
Genre(s)	Music, Gaming
Subscribers	205.13K (combined)
Creator Awards 100,000 subscribers 2019

Yukiko Onishi (大西 由希子, Ōnishi Yukiko, born December 25, 1990), known as Yucco Miller (ユッコ・ミラー, Yukko Mirā) is a Japanese jazz and jazz fusion saxophonist, composer and YouTuber. She is known for her pink-dyed hair and being a popular saxophone player, appearing in overseas jazz festivals in South Korea and Malaysia while also appearing on many television programs.^[1]

Early life and education

Miller was born in Ise, Mie, Japan. At the recommendation of her mother, she started learning the piano when she was 3 years old. She disliked the classes so much that she would purposely disappear from the class.^[2] In her first year at Kogakkan Junior and Senior High School, her friend wanted to try to join the brass band club and Miller decided that she would try as well. She started playing the saxophone in the club.^[3]

During her second year, she would do live performances on a pedestrian bridge after school, and received her first tip from a man in work clothes. That same year, she went to see a performance of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and after their performance she waited for them afterwards to play the saxophone, which impressed the members. The members asked if she could join them, but she refused citing her school.^[4] She would later collaborate with them multiple times later in her career.^[5][6]

She studied under Eric Marienthal, Tetsuro Kawashima, and Ken Kawada, and made her professional debut at the age of 19.^[7]

Career

On September 7, 2016, she released her first album, Yucco Miller from King Records. It was produced in New York by Lonnie Plaxico and has been featured in many media outlets, becoming a bestseller.

On March 14, 2018, her sophomore album Saxonic was released.^[8] A collaboration song composed by Daimaou Kosaka, was also included and attracted attention from the media.^[9][10] The album would later win the Album of the Year award in the "new star" category in the 2018 Jazz Japan Awards.^[11]

In September 2019, her third album Kind of Pink was released, with Grammy-winning musician David Matthews participating in the arrangement and accompanying her on piano.^[12] Her official fan club "Miller Crew" was formed in 2020.^[13]

She has appeared in the official promotion video of the Akai speaker built-in wind synthesizer Ewi Solo and for the Yamaha Digital Saxophone.^[14]

On October 13, 2021, her 4th album Colorful Drops was released, where she also sang on the last track, "Fly Me To The Moon".^[15][16]

References

1. "ユッコ・ミラー". The Sax Online (in Japanese).
2. Sadazuka, Ryo (October 24, 2021). "「臆病」な少女の人生を変えた出会い 3千万回再生のユッコ・ミラー". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese).
3. "インタビュー「楽器と人」". Japan Musical Instruments Association (in Japanese).
4. "きゅるぴか～～～!!! ピンク髪のサックスプレイヤー、ユッコ・ミラーって何者？". Natalie (in Japanese). November 16, 2021.
5. "伊勢出身女性サックス奏者・ユッコ・ミラーさん、ザ・グレン・ミラー・オーケストラと共演". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). December 20, 2016.
6. "伊勢出身サックス奏者ユッコ・ミラーさん、地元で村上ポンタ秀一さんと共演". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). September 19, 2019.
7. "目指すは世界征服！ 異色のサックス奏者、ユッコ・ミラー". Zakzak (in Japanese). January 8, 2017.
8. "ユッコ・ミラーさん新作「ＳＡＸＯＮＩＣ」日々サックスの理由". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). March 11, 2018.
9. "古坂大魔王のダンストラックにユッコ・ミラーのサックス絡むコラボ曲MV". Natalie (in Japanese). March 14, 2018.
10. "伊勢出身サックス奏者ユッコ・ミラーさん、古坂大魔王さんとコラボ". Sankei Shimbun. May 10, 2018.
11. "JAZZ JAPAN". Jazz Japan (in Japanese). Print coverage appears in Jazz Japan Volume 102, January 2019.
12. ""サックスYouTuber"のユッコ・ミラー、ジャズ入門者も楽しめる3rdアルバム『Kind of Pink』9月リリース". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). July 26, 2019.
13. "【インタビュー】仮BAND「人前で普通にライブすることを早く復活させたい」". Atpress (in Japanese). March 19, 2021.
14. "サックス奏者ユッコ・ミラー、AKAI Professional新製品「EWI Solo」プロモーションビデオに登場". Barks (in Japanese). September 10, 2020.
15. "ユッコ・ミラー、4枚目のアルバム『Colorful Drops』リリース決定". Barks (in Japanese). September 3, 2019.
16. "サックスのユッコ・ミラーが新作、ボーカルにも初挑戦". The Nikkei. November 4, 2021.