Not many Japanese jazz musicians have played in front of a President of the United States, but Kengo Nakamura is one. After leaving his hometown of Osaka to study at Boston's esteemed Berklee College of Music in 1988, where he switched from electric to acoustic bass, and struggling for a while to find gigs, he has become one of the most in-demand bassists in New York City. His rock-solid swing and lyrical soloing also caught the ear of Wynton Marsalis, notorious for his high standards, who invited him to join his septet.

Nakamura now has not only a full schedule as bassist with many different New York leaders (such as pianists Cyrus Chestnut and Makoto Ozone), but has also just released a strikingly original and highly polished CD, "Roots," his third as leader. This new CD, released on Japanese label 55 Records, shows Nakamura even more in control than on his 2002 release, "Say Hello to Say Goodbye." "Roots" showcases a fuller range of his acoustic playing, with solo pieces, collaborations with Ozone and an intriguing variety of approaches. His years of experience Stateside come to fruition on this release, with great compositions and a fluid group dynamic. Nakamura just has the knack of pushing his band mates to swing and swing hard.

Nakamura took time to talk about his new CD, and how he got where he is, during a recent, mini-tour of Japan. Though this lively and warm master musician makes his home in New York these days, he tours Japan frequently. His group visits Japan the second week in April for a two-week tour.