Paul Yonemura

Paul Yonemura is a San Francisco Bay Area native and a longtime performer/educator.  He has played with Michael Wolff, John Handy, Art Van Damme, Sunny Wilkinson, Cathy Segal-Garcia, Julie Kelly, Ed Kelly, Don Piestrup Big Band, Full Faith and Credit Big Band, Jimmy Heath, Chris Vadala, Dr. Ron Odrich, Mary Fettig, Helen O'Connell, Wayne Wallace, The Modernaires, Laura Dreyer, and many others.  As a teacher, he has taught privately and in the public schools for more than 40 years.  Many of his groups were critically acclaimed, including his wind bands and jazz bands.  His El Cerrito High School Jazz Ensemble was a consistent winner at jazz festivals, including winning the 1991 Monterey Jazz Festival.  He has also been a guest conductor at summer music camps, including Pacific Music Camp, Summer Music at Stanislaus, Meadow Wood Music Camp,the National High School Summer Institute at Northwestern University, and Cazadero Music Camp. 

Yonemura continues to be active, leading his own trio, quartet, and quintet at local clubs, house concerts, and as part of music festivals in the SF Bay Area.  While retired as an educator, he also continues to adjudicate at jazz festivals.  Recent assignments have included SF Bay Area CMEA jazz festivals, the 2026 Bill Evans Jazz Festival/Southeastern Louisiana University, and the 2026 California Jazz Championships in Folsom, CA.

Yonemura's drumming is featured on the following recordings:

By Request - Art Van Damme

Point of View - Cathy Segal-Garcia

First Flight Home - Paul Yonemura

Coming Back Home - Paul Yonemura

Reunion Trios - Paul Yonemura

Swing Straight Up - Dale Head with the Rory Snyder Night Jazz Band

Kindred Spirits - Paul Yonemura

Kindred Spirits was also submitted for the first round ballot of the 2018 Grammy Awards in several jazz categories and made the first ballot.

Survivors/Thrivers - Paul Yonemura

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