was a Japanese

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the Musical ...

based in

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

. 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. In 1976, six years after moving to Tokyo, Fukui released his first album, ''

Scenery Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. Scenery may be just about anything, from a single chair to an elaborately re-created street, no matter how large or how small, whether the item was custom-made or ...

'', 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 is a neighborhood in the city of Musashino in Western Tokyo, Japan. It is centered on a compact commercial area to the north and south of Kichijōji Station, with a full range of shops, restaurants, bars, and coffee houses. The area is a popu ...

"Sometime" jazz club and the "Jazz Inn Lovely" in

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

. 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

Barry Harris Barry Doyle Harris (December 15, 1929 – December 8, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger, and educator. He was an exponent of the bebop style. Influenced by Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, Harris in turn influenc ...

, an American jazz pianist from

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. The two went on to become close friends, with Harris becoming a mentor figure to Fukui and helping him develop his technique in

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

. In 1994, a third album, ''My Favourite Tune'', was recorded and released featuring Fukui on solo piano playing several original works as well as renditions of songs such as "My Conception" by

Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Early life Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of P ...

and "After Hours" by

Avery Parrish James Avery Parrish (January 24, 1917 – December 10, 1959) was an American jazz pianist, composer and arranger. He wrote and recorded "After Hours (Avery Parrish song), After Hours". Injuries from a bar fight in 1943 ended his career as a piani ...

. This album was followed by ''In New York'' four years later, in trio with the drummer

Leroy Williams Leroy Williams (February 3, 1937 – June 1, 2022) was an American drummer, mostly known for his work in jazz. Williams first began playing drums as a teenager in the 1950s. From 1959 to the middle of the 1960s he played with singer Judy Roberts ...

and the bassist Lisle Arthur Atkinson. In 1995 Fukui went on to open the Slowboat jazz club which attracted many local jazz players as well as international. He would also go on to offer lessons and workshops to pass on his knowledge of music to others. Fukui's final album, ''A Letter From Slowboat'', was released in 2015—recorded live during his time at the Slowboat jazz club.

Death and legacy

Fukui died on March 15, 2016, of

lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). The name typically refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlarged lymph node ...

. 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, began performing his song 'Fukai Aijo' (深い愛情) and dedicating his performances to Fukui until Harris's death in 2021.

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 streaming platforms such as YouTube and

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

. This resurgence in Fukui's work has cultivated a large audience of collectors seeking the vinyl releases of his work.

Accolades

Fukui received the Sapporo Culture Encouragement Prize in 2012.

Discography

Studio albums

* 1976: ''

'' * 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

External links

Jazz Slowboat

Official YouTube channel

AllMusic
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fukui, Ryo Deaths from lymphoma in Japan Japanese pianists Japanese jazz pianists 1948 births 2016 deaths Musicians from Hokkaido