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Hirotaka Izumi

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Hirotaka Izumi
和泉宏隆
Izumi performing in 2018
Background information
Born(1958-09-28)September 28, 1958
Tokyo, Japan
DiedApril 26, 2021(2021-04-26) (aged 62)
Genres
Occupations
Instruments
Years active1982–2021
LabelsMistyFountain (Solo Career), CBS/Sony (1982-97, as a member of T-Square)
Alma materKeio University

Hirotaka Izumi (和泉宏隆, Izumi Hirotaka; September 28, 1958 – April 26, 2021) was a Japanese keyboardist, pianist, and composer who was a former member of the jazz fusion band T-Square.[1] Besides T-Square, he was also active in the bands Pyramid (ピラミッド) and Voyage (ヴォヤージュ).

Early life and education

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Izumi was born in Tokyo, Japan on September 28, 1958. He started playing the piano at the age of four and, after listening to Bill Evans, aspired to become a jazz pianist. He attended Keio Senior High School where he was a part of the Jazz Circle of the school's Keio Light Music Society along with drummer Akira Jimbo.[2] After graduating, he attended Keio University and graduated from the Faculty of Law, Department of Law.

Career

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Throughout 1981, Hirotaka Izumi appeared as a session keyboardist in J-Pop albums by singers Junko Mihara, Mayuki Masaka and Naomi Akimoto, to name a few. In 1982, he joined the jazz fusion band The Square, later known as T-Square. He became their keyboardist and made his debut with their sixth studio album Temptation of Shapely Legs. At the same time of his debut, he was working on the Fuji TV show Waratte Iitomo!.[3] He stayed in the band until departing in 1998, and during his 16 years he was in charge of piano, synthesizer, composition, arrangement, horn arrangement, and strings arrangement, playing a central role in the band's sound.

Izumi (right) performing with Akira Jimbo (center) and Yuji Toriyama (left) in 2018.

In 1997, he released his first solo album Forgotten Saga, and with it, became concentrated on playing piano, and left the group with the "Farewell & Welcome" tour the following year. After that, he continued to produce solo albums up until 2005 with the album Hirotaka Izumi Covers Love Songs. In the same year, guitarist Yuji Toriyama formed a band with drummer Akira Jimbo and Izumi, calling themselves Pyramid.[4] He also started playing in a band called Voyage with guitarist Issei Noro and percussionist Saori Sendō.[5]

Even after leaving T-Square, he continued to work with the members and occasionally participated in their recording sessions.[6]

His 16-year tenure in the band (1982 to 1998) is the second longest regarding keyboardists (with Keizoh Kawano in T-Square from 2000 to 2020) and 5th-longest overall, with drummer Satoshi Bandoh being in the band from 2004 to the present day, saxophonist Takeshi Itoh being in the band on two separate stints (1977-1990 and 2000–Present Day) and Guitarist Masahiro Andoh being a member of the band since its creation (1976 to 2021).

In 2007, he formed a trio with bassist Kiyoshi Murakami and drummer Masami Itagaki. Since then, the focus of his activities had been shifted to this trio, releasing four albums by 2009 starting with the album Lights in a Distance and also touring nationwide while continuing as a solo artist. According to the Misty Fountain Hirotaka Izumi blog, the trio disbanded in the summer of 2010 and was restarted in October with bassist Komobuchi Kiichirou and drummer Masaharu Ishikawa.

In 2012, he formed the group The Water Colors with bassist Keisuke Torigoe and drummer Masaharu Ishikawa, with Torigoe being replaced by bassist Hiroshi Yoshino in 2016. He also formed a duo with guitarist Kazuhiko Iwami called the Twilight Express Duo. In 2017, he and former T-Square members Andoh, Itoh, Toyoyuki Tanaka, Toru Hasebe reunited as The Square Reunion 1982–1985 "The Legend" and Andoh, Ito, Izumi, Mitsuru Sutoh, and Hiroyuki Noritake reunited as The Square Reunion 1987–1990 "Fantastic History." In 2019, he announced the album Complete Solo Piano Works, a comprehensive project of his works produced through all musical activities as a pianist in a solo arrangement. In August 2020, he opened a YouTube channel.

On April 28, 2021, it was announced on the official website that he died of acute heart failure, with his funeral held only by close relatives.[7][8] Because of many inquiries, it was announced on May 2 of the same year that videos including unreleased live video would be distributed for free via YouTube premiere.

References

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  1. ^ "T-SQUARE、新旧メンバー選曲の7枚組メモリアルボックス全曲目発表". Yahoo! Japan. June 11, 2021.
  2. ^ "鳥山雄司 ｢Silver Shoes｣ (1982)". Ongaku no Mori (in Japanese). Excite. June 15, 2019.
  3. ^ "ミュージシャンの和泉宏隆さんが死去 インストバンド「T-SQUARE」元メンバー、吹奏楽の鉄板「宝島」を手掛ける". ITmedia (in Japanese). April 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "鳥山雄司、神保彰、和泉宏隆からなるスーパーユニット「PYRAMID」。"今な感じ"の音づくりを追求したニューアルバムリリース／PYRAMIDインタビュー". Yamaha Corporation (in Japanese). October 17, 2018.
  5. ^ "Purely ／ VOYAGE（野呂一生・和泉宏隆・仙道さおり）". Jake no Blog (in Japanese). Ameba. June 27, 2015.
  6. ^ "T-SQUARE 40年余の歴史を振り返る新旧メンバー選曲のメモリアルボックス 今年4月にこの世を去った和泉宏隆が参加したTHE SQUARE Reunion最後のステージを収めたブルーレイも急遽追加". HMV (in Japanese). August 4, 2021.
  7. ^ Sadazuka, Ryo (April 28, 2021). "元「T-SQUARE」キーボード　和泉宏隆さん死去" [Former "T-SQUARE" keyboard Hirotaka Izumi dies]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese).
  8. ^ "A 62-year-old Japanese jazz pianist died suddenly of heart failure!Heart disease must be prevented after sixtieth birthday". Min News. November 25, 2021.
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