Articles

May 2018

Aleisha Ward, NZ Musicians Magazine (Accidental Journey Album Review)

"action-packed, charming, quirky and upbeat"

 

March 2018

Marty Duda, 13th Floor ("Accidental Journey" Concert Review)

"Miho is one heck of a musician"

 

Sept 2015

Andrew Smit, NZ Musicians Magazine (Bumpy Road Album Review)

"Bursting with character and full of vibrant music that is real and alive"

 

Oct 2014

Bing Turkby, NZ Musician Magazine (Memphis Dreamin’ EP Review)

“How lucky we are to have a genre-defying artist like this around”

 

April 2014

Bop N Jazz, Critical Jazz (Mystery Banana Album Review)

“Mystery Banana is stupid good!”

 

May 2013

Brent Black, Critical Jazz (EXIT 621 Album Review)

“Fresh, innovative, and a unqiue sound that you simply will not hear anywhere else found this critic hitting the lottery upon receiving this release”….. “A rising star that should be embraced by a wider audience….” 

 

22 May 2013, Northern Sky, UK

“It’s a shame that the world doesn’t contain more jazz-flute-ninjas – a thought that flutters into my mind when listening to any of the many scrumptious outings from Japanese-born New Zealander Miho Wada”

 

3 Jan 2013, The Nelson Mail

“One of the most entertaining jazz acts in New Zealand”

 

14 Feb 2013

Scott Kara, TimeOut, The New Zealand Herald

“With her mix of kooky, cute and tough-girl style, this Japanese-born, Auckland based musician is a live music marvel.”

 

02 Sept 2012

Liam Wilkinson, Northern Sky (Wanderland Album Review)

“her flute style is at once fearless, passionate and exploratory” 

 

17 Aug 2012

Brent Black, Critical Jazz (Wanderland Album Review)

“Wada is the real deal when it comes to a world class flautist”

 

13 July 2012

Bird Is The Worm, All About Jazz

“punk-ninja flautist Miho Wada, who consistently sounds like no one else on the jazz scene”

 

Dec 2011

Brent Black, Critical Jazz  (Para Ti EP review)

“Miho Wada is the next generation of jazz” … “Wada is a unique voice that embodies the diversity and richness that should be celebrated within the jazz community.”

 

11 Dec 2011

By Lawrence Peryer, All About Jazz, USA (Para Ti EP review)

“Good things can indeed come in small packages. Flutist Miho Wada’s Para Ti, for example, clocks in at just a hair over 20 minutes, with five melodic and catchy songs that manage to combine sharp musicianship with a sense of whimsy and fun.” 

 

1 Nov 2011

17 dots, Notes from digital underground, USA (Para Ti EP review)

Naming her style “Japanese Punk Jazz,” Miho finds a way to make jazz flute sound both romantic and badass. Performing and training with a diverse group of musicians like Nigel Kennedy, Buena Vista Social Club, and Iggy Pop (among others), Miho sounds to be developing a very distinctive and enjoyable voice. On this EP, she takes us through a series of tunes that displays her love of Cuban music, creating a series of tunes that have plenty of drive without blunting her light touch.

 

April/May 2010

By Martyn Pepperell, Rip It Up Magazine, New Zealand, Who’s Next?

“A pint-sized Sailor Moon meets Kill Bill-esque purveyor of self confessed, “happy bedroom music” and “Japanese punk jazz”, Miho Wada presents a compellingly unique proposition within New Zealand’s musical schemata.”

 

26 Feb 2010

By Jonah Bayer, Spinner, U.S.A, Interview: SXSW 2010

Miho Wada may call her music Japanese punk-jazz, but this classically trained musician’s sound manages to encompass elements of jazz, Latin, rock, pop and virtually every other genre imaginable. Her debut album, ‘Postcards to Your Bed,’ manages to work all these seeming disparate influences into one energetic mix, which makes sense when you consider the fact that Wada has recorded alongside artists like Iggy Pop.

 

8 Feb 2010

By Lazarus, SPINearth, USA, Lucky 12: Our Favorite Tracks by Up and Coming Bands

“The tiny-yet-energetic Miho Wada, who sneers words confidently above the fray of music about “getting lost in pleasure” or “drinking vino and playing Nintendo”, creates bizarre, ska-influenced jazz punk with her international mash-up of a band.”

 

16 Jan 2010

By Antonia Chiam, Eastern Times, Malaysia, Story of a Flute Player

“Her repertoire of original songs feature music with Japanese flavors accompanied by various other instruments to create a combination of distinctive and contemporary sounds that appeal to audience worldwide.”

 

10 Nov 2009

By Ben East, The National, Abu Dubai, Uncommon man

“Wada is a star – magnificent in a mournful 20 minute jam that breaks down for an extended handclap session and ends in blasts of white noise"

 


Quotes

Sapporo Jazz Festival, July 2014

“メンバーの多国籍感ととにかく音楽バカの私達にはたまらない楽しいリズム、華奢な身体でど迫力の演奏。心にどかーんと来るものがあって、聞き入ってしまいました。”

 

Bill Loney, April 2014

“Where in the world can you get talent and personality like this in such close quarters? Only NZ!”

 

Amplifier, 2010

“Power packed J-Pop princess”

 

WOMADelaide, 2009

“Best thing on stage this festival”

 

Artex, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba 2008

“(Ella) toca como los Cubanos!”

 

Sir James Galway, Switzerland, 2007

“Bravo!”

 

acclaimed by Nigel Kennedy, London, 2003

“Amazing talent… Miho plays the flute like a Goddess!”