Ryo Fukui, Piano
b-side
/
Ryo Fukui came to the piano unusually late, teaching himself jazz piano from the age of twenty-two. Only six years later he released his debut, Scenery, followed by Mellow Dream in 1977. The two records established the core of his early work: melodic, rhythmically driven trio jazz, moving easily between restraint and a remarkably physical attack.
Fukui developed largely through playing rather than formal education, and remained closely tied to Hokkaido and Sapporo rather than being defined solely by Tokyo. Decades later, especially Scenery would find an international audience far beyond the scene in which it was originally made.
SAPPORO / JAZZ CLUB
In 1995 Fukui and his wife Yasuko established Slowboat in Sapporo. The small live venue became his musical base and a meeting point between musician, club and local jazz community. It survived Fukui’s death and continues to operate as a jazz venue.
A Letter from Slowboat, recorded there in January 2015, also made the club part of Fukui’s recorded history — both the setting of his later musical life and part of the archive he left behind.
SELECTED RECORDS
Scenery — 1976
Fukui’s debut is built largely around familiar jazz material, but the record quickly develops an identity of its own. His piano sits firmly at the center: melodic and accessible, yet capable of turning increasingly forceful and percussive as the trio gathers momentum. Early Summer makes this especially clear — the attraction lies as much in the collective acceleration of the group as in Fukui’s soloing. Scenery is an unusually direct record, and that directness remains one of its greatest strengths.
LISTEN / SCENERY
Ryo Fukui — piano
Satoshi Denpo — double bass
Yoshinori Fukui — drums
Recorded: 1976
Location: Yamaha Hall, Sapporo
Original issue: Trio Records / Nadja
Engineer: Kunio Arai
ALSO RECOMMENDED
Mellow Dream — 1977
The immediate continuation of Scenery, recorded with the same bass-and-drums lineup.
Ryo Fukui — piano
Satoshi Denpo — double bass
Yoshinori Fukui — drums
Recorded: August 17–18, 1977
Location: Yamaha Hall, Sapporo
Original issue: Trio Records
Engineer: Masayoshi Okawa
Ryo Fukui came to the piano unusually late, teaching himself jazz piano from the age of twenty-two. Only six years later he released his debut, Scenery, followed by Mellow Dream in 1977. The two records established the core of his early work: melodic, rhythmically driven trio jazz, moving easily between restraint and a remarkably physical attack.
Fukui developed largely through playing rather than formal education, and remained closely tied to Hokkaido and Sapporo rather than being defined solely by Tokyo. Decades later, especially Scenery would find an international audience far beyond the scene in which it was originally made.
SAPPORO / JAZZ CLUB
In 1995 Fukui and his wife Yasuko established Slowboat in Sapporo. The small live venue became his musical base and a meeting point between musician, club and local jazz community. It survived Fukui’s death and continues to operate as a jazz venue.
A Letter from Slowboat, recorded there in January 2015, also made the club part of Fukui’s recorded history — both the setting of his later musical life and part of the archive he left behind.
SELECTED RECORDS
Scenery — 1976
Fukui’s debut is built largely around familiar jazz material, but the record quickly develops an identity of its own. His piano sits firmly at the center: melodic and accessible, yet capable of turning increasingly forceful and percussive as the trio gathers momentum. Early Summer makes this especially clear — the attraction lies as much in the collective acceleration of the group as in Fukui’s soloing. Scenery is an unusually direct record, and that directness remains one of its greatest strengths.
LISTEN / SCENERY
Ryo Fukui — piano
Satoshi Denpo — double bass
Yoshinori Fukui — drums
Recorded: 1976
Location: Yamaha Hall, Sapporo
Original issue: Trio Records / Nadja
Engineer: Kunio Arai
ALSO RECOMMENDED
Mellow Dream — 1977
The immediate continuation of Scenery, recorded with the same bass-and-drums lineup.
Ryo Fukui — piano
Satoshi Denpo — double bass
Yoshinori Fukui — drums
Recorded: August 17–18, 1977
Location: Yamaha Hall, Sapporo
Original issue: Trio Records
Engineer: Masayoshi Okawa
