Ryo Fukui – Japanese Jazz Legend, Rediscovered

Completely under the radar until its miraculous recent online rediscovery, Sapporo-based pianist Ryo Fukui’s 1976 record Scenery has come to be seen as emblematic in jazz’s international history. Through many moments both upbeat and serene, his immaculate instrumentation flows seamlessly, permanently leaving his personal mark as a self-taught musician.

With the recent re-issuing of his coveted discography and rare live recordings by We Release Jazz (sister label of WRWTFWW, who previously re-issued several experimental Japanese rarities), as one of the most widely consumed jazz musicians of recent years, the rise of Ryo Fukui reflects a surging interest in the genre’s unique history in Japan.

Mysterious Maestro

Ryo Fukui’s magnum opus was in fact his first release, a recording of his trio made after 6 years of living in Tokyo, away from his hometown. Since recording his second, Mellow Dream (1977), the following year, regular performances in important venues continued to sharpen his musical finesse until he began to perform and teach piano internationally. Though his story eventually reached the ears of several millions through internet algorithms, he was noticed scarcely by Western aficionados of his time.

Scenery exemplifies the elevated levels of perfection sought out in Japanese jazz scenes, with the skills of its musicians pressurised under the intensity and intimacy of its venues. As showcased in Scenery’s effortless fusing of modal, bop and cool jazz, the city at the time was peaking with the cumulative influences of American music made throughout Japan’s post-war years.

Where jazz was deemed initially controversial as foreign culture, its gradual importation and adaptation throughout the early 20th century allowed one of the most vibrant free jazz scenes to blossom by the 1960s. Some researchers estimate that Japan still has the largest portions of jazz listeners in the world, with an ongoing tradition of jazz kissa‘s: cozy listenings bars which ritualise the listening of LPs, much like enjoying a fine whisky.    

Ryo Fukui’s domain existed in likewise hidden institutions — historical venues such as the Shinjuku Pit Inn, Kichijoji’s Sometime, or Nagoya’s Jazz Inn Lovely. Later chapters of his career were filled with travels, particularly to America where his mentor Barry Harris inspired some of his most exhilarating sessions. His final recordings were made upon his final return to Sapporo, where he opened the Slowboat jazz club in 1995. Shortly before his death, his breathtaking solos in A Letter From Slowboat (2015) unfolds as a soulful love letter to his native home.

Scenery (1976), an album by Ryo Fukui released by We Release Jazz/WRWTFWW Records.