CITY CULTURE : Jazz Fusion

Using jazz as a fusing force for ethnic unity, Japan’s oldest jazz band will provide a free concert Wednesday at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.

Nobuo Hara and the Sharps and Flats are putting on the 7 p.m. show in hopes of raising community spirit in the wake of the April-May riots. The group will also perform at a fund-raising concert Tuesday at Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo, with proceeds going to the Japanese Americans for L.A. Recovery fund, which assists riot victims.

The band has performed in the United States numerous times during its 41-year history, but this will be its first appearance in Los Angeles.

“I’ve been trying to share jazz, a highly artistic musical form created in the U.S., with people around the world,” Hara said. “I hope this will encourage an even closer relationship between Japan and the U.S. and help cross over cultural barriers and unify beyond all nationalities.”

Hara formed the Sharps and Flats in September, 1951, creating one of Japan’s first big bands. The group’s music ranges from American swing to modern jazz and has been inspired by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Stan Kenton and others. The group has performed with Quincy Jones, Sammy Davis Jr., Diana Ross and Nat King Cole, among others.

Appearing with the Sharps and Flats in Los Angeles will be Shoji Suzuki, a band leader and clarinet virtuoso known as “the Benny Goodman of Japan,” and Kimiko Itoh, who has been named No. 1 female vocalist for the last four years by Japan’s leading jazz magazine. The George Bohanon Quintet, a local group, will perform at the Wednesday night event only. For details on the free USC event, call (213) 740-7111.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. Tuesday fund-raising concert are $20 for balcony seats and $25 for orchestra seats, with special seats for donors of $100 or more. Information: (213) 680-3700.