Yucco Miller

Lore & Background

Yucco Miller was born in Ise, Mie, Japan. At her mother's recommendation, she began piano lessons at age 3 but disliked them so much she would purposely disappear from class. In her first year at Kogakkan Junior and Senior High School, she joined the brass band club with a friend and started playing the saxophone. During her second year, she performed live on a pedestrian bridge after school and received her first tip from a man in work clothes. That same year, she saw the Glenn Miller Orchestra perform and afterward played for the members, who were impressed and asked her to join; she refused due to school, but later collaborated with them multiple times. She studied under Eric Marienthal, Tetsuro Kawashima, and Ken Kawada, and made her professional debut at age 19.

Reader's Guide

Yucco Miller's significance lies in her rise as a prominent Japanese jazz saxophonist with a distinctive visual identity—her pink-dyed hair—and her success in both domestic and international venues. Her debut album, Yucco Miller (2016), produced by Lonnie Plaxico in New York, became a bestseller. Her second album, Saxonic (2018), included a collaboration with Daimaou Kosaka and won Album of the Year in the 'new star' category at the 2018 Jazz Japan Awards. Her third album, Kind of Pink (2019), featured Grammy-winning musician David Matthews. She also appeared in promotional videos for the Akai Ewi Solo and Yamaha Digital Saxophone. Her fourth album, Colorful Drops (2021), included her singing on the final track, 'Fly Me To The Moon.' Her official fan club, 'Miller Crew,' was formed in 2020. Her legacy includes bridging traditional jazz with modern media, as a YouTuber and television personality, while maintaining a strong live performance presence at festivals in South Korea and Malaysia.

Did You Know?

• She started playing the saxophone in her first year of junior high school after joining the brass band club with a friend.
• She received her first tip while performing on a pedestrian bridge during her second year of high school.
• She sang on the last track of her fourth album, 'Fly Me To The Moon.'