Born in Los Angeles, Nabuko 'Cobi' Narita volunteered at Memory Lane jazz club in Los Angeles. Moving to New York in 1969, in the early seventies Narita was appointed executive director at Jazz Interactions, facilitating music education programmes and concerts.
In 1976 Narita founded the Universal Jazz Coalition, three years later she established the New York Women's Jazz Festival.
Some years later Narita set up the Jazz Center of New York to host jam sessions and concerts (George Coleman, Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Harper, Abbey Lincoln). In 2002 Narita opened Cobi's Place on 48th St and supported tap jam sessions at Smalls. In 2001 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Foundation of America. Cobi Narita was 97. Russell
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