13 Facts About Ryo Fukui

Ryo Fukui was a Japanese jazz pianist based in Sapporo.

Ryo Fukui played regularly at the "Slowboat" jazz club in Sapporo, which he and his wife Yasuko owned.

Ryo Fukui's work has seen a spike in popularity after his death, with several reissues of his albums.

Ryo Fukui began his life in music by learning the accordion at age 18.

Ryo Fukui met occasionally with saxophonist Hidehiko Matsumoto who offered valuable encouragement and guidance to the aspiring pianist.

Nonetheless, Ryo Fukui was often disheartened, feeling as though he was not making significant improvement in his playing.

In 1976, six years after moving to Tokyo, Ryo Fukui released his first album, Scenery, and his second album, Mellow Dream, the year after.

Ryo Fukui continued improving his skills over the following years in live performance, often appearing in a trio including Satoshi Denpo, Yoshinori Fukui, and himself.

Ryo Fukui began to perform overseas in France and America as well as beginning to teach jazz piano to students internationally.

In 1992, during his visit to America, Ryo Fukui met Barry Harris, an American jazz pianist from Detroit.

In 1995 Ryo Fukui went on to open the Slowboat jazz club which attracted many local jazz players as well as international.

Ryo Fukui would go on to offer lessons and workshops to pass on his knowledge of music to others.

Ryo 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.