Acclaimed for his "prodigious technique," guitarist Nobuki Takamen is an exciting new presence on the North American jazz scene. Blending lyrical melodies with a fluid playing style, the Hiroshima-born, Jersey City-based musician has an impressive repertoire, incorporating everything from hard bop to pop. In 2006, he released Bull's Blues with his band, Nobuki Takamen Group. Their follow-up, From Now On, hit shelvestwo years later and was described by one critic as "an exciting continuation of a promising career." Both albums are comprised entirely of Takamen's original compositions.