Ryo Fukui
Ryo Fukui | |
|---|---|
 Fukui at the piano, performing at "The Glee" | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ryo Fukui (福居良) |
| Born | June 1, 1948 Biratori, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Died | March 15, 2016 (aged 67) Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Years active | 1976–2016 |
Ryo Fukui (福居良, Fukui Ryō, June 1, 1948 – March 15, 2016) was a Japanese jazz pianist based in Sapporo. He played regularly at the "Slowboat" jazz club in Sapporo, which he and his wife Yasuko owned. Fukui taught and performed internationally until his death in 2016. His work has seen a spike in popularity after his death, with several reissues of his albums.
Early life and career
1966–1980s
Fukui began his life in music by learning the accordion at age 18. At the age of 22, he began to teach himself piano and soon moved to Tokyo. Fukui met occasionally with saxophonist Hidehiko Matsumoto who offered valuable encouragement and guidance to the aspiring pianist. Nonetheless, Fukui was often disheartened, feeling as though he was not making significant improvement in his playing.[1]
In 1976, six years after moving to Tokyo, Fukui released his first album, Scenery,[2][3] and his second album, Mellow Dream, the year after. He continued improving his skills over the following years in live performance, often appearing in a trio including Satoshi Denpo, Yoshinori Fukui (Ryo's brother), and himself. The trio would often play at the Shinjuku Pit Inn, Kichijōji "Sometime" jazz club and the "Jazz Inn Lovely" in Nagoya. Fukui also began to perform overseas in France and America as well as beginning to teach jazz piano to students internationally.
1990s–2015
In 1992, during his visit to America, Fukui met
Death and legacy
Fukui died on March 15, 2016, of lymphoma. After his death, his widow Yasuko Fukui took over the Slowboat jazz club, running its day-to-day operations. Fukui's longtime friend Barry Harris has since been seen playing his song "Fukai Aijo" (深い愛情) and dedicating his performance to Fukui.[6]
Online presence
Japanese jazz experienced a resurgence in popularity in the late 2010s, with Fukui and especially his album Scenery being at the forefront of renewed interest. Fukui's music has made its way into popular internet culture, as much of his work has been uploaded onto popular streaming platforms such as YouTube and Apple Music. This resurgence in Fukui's work has cultivated a large audience of collectors seeking the vinyl releases of his work.[7]
Accolades
Fukui received the Sapporo Culture Encouragement Prize in 2012.[8]
Discography
Studio albums
- 1976: Scenery
- 1977: Mellow Dream
- 1994: My Favorite Tune
- 2015: A Letter From Slowboat
Live albums
- 1977: Live at Vidro '77 (released in 2021)
- 1999: Ryo Fukui in New York
References
- ^ "Ryo Fukui - jazz live SLOWBOAT" (in Japanese). September 25, 2013. Archived from the original on February 27, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- ^ Year By Year: Five Essential Albums of 1976 - JAZZIZ Magazine
- ^ Lost In Time: A retrospective on Ryo Fukui 'Scenery'|The Michigan Daily
- ^ "English guide | jazz live SLOWBOAT". Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ "English guide | jazz live SLOWBOAT". Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ Fukai Aijo (深い愛情) dedicated to Ryo Fukui, retrieved 2023-12-21
- ^ Rosean, Sam (2017-01-01). "Artists From Japan #3: An Introduction to Ryo Fukui". Overblown. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ "Heisei 24-nendo jushō-sha no shōkai" 平成24年度受賞者の紹介 [Recipients of the Heisei 24 Awards] (in Japanese). City of Sapporo. February 15, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
External links
- Jazz Slowboat
- Official YouTube channel
- AllMusic
- Ryo Fukui discography at Discogs
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |