Tak Matsumoto
Takahiro "Tak" Matsumoto (松本 孝弘, Matsumoto Takahiro, born on March 27, 1961 in Toyonaka, Osaka) is a Grammy Award-winning Japanese guitarist, producer, arranger, composer, singer and songwriter. In addition to being the guitarist and lead composer for the hard rock duo B'z, he has also had a successful solo career. He ranked first in a 2011 poll on who the Japanese people thought was the best guitarist to represent Japan.
Background
Tak's formal education in jazz was minimal, but when he started working as a session musician, and supporting tours like TM Network, his musicianship was cemented. His exposure to a myriad of styles helped him to meld his own unique blend, incorporating elements of his jazz training, blues (his incorporation of the style known as "Kansai Blues" is well known), classical, metal, rock, and ska.
Tak continued his session work throughout the early and mid-1980s with acts such as Mari Hamada until deciding to jump on the emerging solo instrumental trend catching on in Japan at that time. He recorded "Thousand Wave" and working with future globe headliner Tetsuya Komuro. "99", a simple instrumental incorporating some blistering fretwork, is considered one of his finest works.
Podcasts:
松本孝弘
ALBUMS
- New Horizon released: 2014
- Strings Of My Soul released: 2012
- Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto LIVE 2010 “TAKE YOUR PICK” at BLUE NOTE TOKYO released: 2010
- Take Your Pick released: 2010
- Theatre Of Strings released: 2005
- THE HIT PARADE released: 2003
- 華 released: 2002
- 西辺来龍 DRAGON FROM THE WEST released: 2002
- KNOCKIN’ “T” AROUND released: 1999
- Thousand Wave Plus released: 1996
- Wanna Go Home released: 1992
- Thousand Wave released: 1988
- House Of Strings released:
Latest News for: tak matsumoto
Epiphone and Tak Matsumoto strike gold with 1955 Les Paul Standard based on his vintage original
Tak Matsumoto & Mai Kuraki - Imitation Gold (cover)
- 1