Yuji Tojo

International Guitarist Song Writer, Producer, Recording Engineer

Music

Yuji Tojo has a richly diverse International career working on a wide range of musical genres as a Guitarist, Studio Musician, Song Writer, Producer, and Recording Engineer. He also continues to perform as a Solo Artist and joins with a myriad of talented musicians creating all star local performances in the Bay area and Central Coast when he is not on tour in Europe or Japan. His performances and recordings can take you on a journey taking world beat, jazz, funk, improvisation to a new level.

Musical Roots

Yuji Tojo has been a musical performer since childhood. He began his life long career in music at the tender age of 9. Music became his life path and by 14 he was playing in a popular Tokyo rock band Nami. Success was abundant and he soon found himself signing with one of the top bands in Japan, ETB. This began his professional career as a Recording Artist and full time touring Musician. ETB was one of the top ten Jazz/Rock Funk bands in Japan and success was phenomenal; commanding audiences of 10,000 or more people a concert with a constant stream of publicity, Nationally syndicated TV shows, and a series of successful recording contracts reaching the National top ten charts for popular music. As a result of both talent and success they opened for some of the biggest International Artists of the day such as Herbie Hancock, Tower of Power, and Little Feet.

Yuji naturally aligned with many talented musicians in the West. He discovered his life path was global and left Japan for an International career in music, recording and production.

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By 1980 he moved to Santa Cruz, California and was hired as a guitarist for CBS artist Lacy J Dalton both recording and touring. Yuji also performed with Baba Olatunji, Grammy Award winning virtuoso Drummer, Percussionist, Producer, Social Activist and Recording Artist. Somewhere between the late 80's and early 90's Yuji created his own world beat groupChi Mizu touring Japan and the Pacific Coast with a team of talented musicians for over 3 decades.

Latest at Musashi Tojo Music

Ground Water

May 29, 2020 - Hot off the digital press at Musashi Tojo Music ©2020! Yuji Tojo releases “Ground Water”, an original song from 1989, exploring the origins water and human connection!

Pass the water in the bottle, wonder how this came to be...gracefully segues into a majestic adventure of, melody and sound harmoniously fusing latin rhythms with classical perception. Yuji Tojo's music is creating a new kind of musical alchemy for the pop genre and this song defines it. Going back into the belly of Chi Mizu, and its many iterations since 1989, this song has persistently been requested by audiences around the world. Thirty-one years later, “Ground Water” is available for all to enjoy! Yuji Tojo's songs are available at multiple music vendors; Apple, Spotify, Google Play, Tidal or Amazon.

Yuji Tojo emerges from Hill Studio in a self produced and recorded, solo version of Ground Water that also features a video montage of our most precious resource, water. Like a breeze upon the waters edge flowing into a rocky stream that peaks through the Sunlight, and you are graced with canis regal in contemplation watching the tranquil waters in melodious harmony; from studio to nature “Ground Water” takes you there!

If you liked that there is more! Yuji Tojo publishes an ongoing Video Gallery of original songs. Enjoy a procession of original tunes with visuals created exclusively by Yuji Tojo, Musashi Tojo Music at Hill Studio.

Video Gallery

HIll Studio Vintage Instrument Shop
Grand Opening!

Yuji Tojo provides a unique palette of vintage instruments! Check out what is on sale at Hill Studio below! While times are challenging, they can also empower change and reinvention.

SHOP

More Musical Works

Yuji Tojo continues to self produce recording numerous albums and singles; Way of the Universe was released in 2010. It can be purchased on amazon in digital format. More recently, As I Breathe was released July 15, 2019 and is available to purchase on many digital platforms. As I Breathe flows with a natural reflection of subtle harmony between acoustic and electric melodies, creating a full bodied breathe of fresh air. Each instrument introduces a layered ballad of connectivity ascending on a journey of discovery through the hearts path of love, loss, and passion.

  • Apple
  • Spotify,
  • Amazon
  • google play, tidal and a host of purchasing options.

      • “For My Friends “ Live from Hill Studio
      2020

      Enjoy a Special Private Performances, in full view, wherever you may be! "For my Friends" is a music project created by Yuji Tojo to help support the continuation of local music virtually!

      Yuji Tojo's Latest Music Selection
      Journey EP Released August 5, 2019

      Journey, by Yuji Tojo, is an EP available for purchase in all digital platforms. Enjoy the refreshing melodic pathways to your heart in rhythmic form; it takes you there. A collection of musicial treasures; some originals not yet released, flows from one song into the next, taking you on a rich and colorful path of enjoyable music. Have a listen on itunes.

going to you tube song from Way of the Universe titled This Love
Photo of the stage wide drift wood sculpture with Yuji admiring it.
photo of Yuji Tojo and Drummer James Norris Live at Crows nest
black and white photo of Yuji and drummer live at the Crows Nest first and third Wednesday night

Hill Studio

Nestled upon a hill in the Redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Hill Studio has been serving the musical community around the globe since the 1980's. Yuji Tojo created Hill Studio to facilitate a professional musical environment for studio collaboration, engineering and production projects.

With more than 50 years of live performance along side a diverse career on the leading edge of studio production and music engineering, Yuji Tojo offers professional level studio session work and recording services. His level of technical mastery provides the kind of attention to detail that brings support with the kind of vision and energy for each project to reach its fullest potential.

Soon Creativity, Song and Mastery shall echoe through the mountain tops again as HIll Studio was destroyed by the CZU Lightening Complex Fire of August 2020.

If you wish to inquire about; Recording, Production Projects, or Studio Session Work, send an email for further information. Please describe briefly what you have in mind; questions about the scope of your project. If you prefer Slow Coast Contact write to:

Hill Studio
PO Box 67 Ben Lomond, CA 95005
USA

Another way Yuji Tojo supports the musical community is through musical mentoring; teaching the gift of music. Yuji Tojo is the Maestro and Teacher at Hill Studios teaching multiple instruments on all levels guiding one to improve the quality of musical output! Through his uniquely tailored one on one live training one can go to next level of musical breadth, and technical expertise while supporting a students individual musical goals! Hill Studio is now accepting online bookings for live virtual music lessons open to students in Japanese and English languages.

Music Lessons Online