Himiko Kikuchi
Japanese jazz pianist, keyboardist, composer and arranger.
Himiko Kikuchi is a Japanese jazz pianist, keyboardist, composer and arranger. Born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture on March 2, 1953, and raised in Shiogama, she began studying classical piano at age 7 under Ruiko Koga and Takako Horie. At 12, she won second prize at the Yamaha Electone Competition playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. After performing with vocalists like Takuro Yoshida, she studied under jazz pianist Sadayasu Fujii around 1975. On July 11, 1979, she played keyboards for Bingo Miki & the Inner Galaxy Orchestra at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Her debut album, Don't Be Stupid, came out in 1980 on Teichiku Records' Continental sublabel.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Himiko Kikuchi, 菊池 ひみこ
- Born
- 2 March 1953
- Birthplace
- Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan
- Instrument
- Piano; keyboards
- Genre
- Jazz; jazz fusion
- Occupation
- Musician
- composer
- arranger
- Years active
- 1965–present
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- She studied classical piano under Ruiko Koga of Miyagi Gakuin Women's University's Music Department and Tokyo University of the Arts Professor Takako Horie.
- Kikuchi moved to Tottori with her husband, guitarist Masatsugu Matsumoto, in 1999.
- Her 1981 album Flashing was reissued as a Tower Records exclusive in 2014.
Music career
Himiko Kikuchi began her career working alongside vocalists and musicians like Takuro Yoshida, Tsunehiko Kamijō, and Mayumi Itsuwa before becoming a student of jazz pianist Sadayasu Fujii around 1975. On July 11, 1979, she played keyboards for Bingo Miki & the Inner Galaxy Orchestra at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Her first album, Don't Be Stupid, arrived in 1980 on the Continental imprint of Teichiku Records. The next year, she handled arrangements for American saxophonist Richie Cole's album Cool "C". She then released a string of albums through Continental: Flashing (1981), All Right (1982), Woman (1983), and Reverse It (1984). In 1987 and 1988, CBS/Sony Records put out Flying Beagle and Sevilla Breeze, respectively. Kikuchi wrote the music for the 1993 film Yakuza Ladies Revisited 2, and her RCA Records album Beam served as its soundtrack. In 2002, she acted as music director and led an orchestra at the 17th National Cultural Festival in Tottori Prefecture, performing “Furusato - Home in My Soul.” She reprised that song at the opening of the 17th National Lifelong Learning Festival in the same prefecture in 2005, the year she also received the 30th Tottori City Cultural Award. Flashing was reissued as a Tower Records exclusive in 2014. In 2021, Kikuchi and her husband Masatsugu Matsumoto presented the “Himiko Kikuchi and Masashi Matsumoto 50th Anniversary Concert in Music,” marking five decades of each of their musical careers. In 2024, Flying Beagle and Sevilla Breeze were reissued as a Tower Records exclusive, using a 2023 remaster.
Discography
All albums released under the Continental label were made available on streaming services including Spotify and YouTube Music on May 28, 2024, with the CBS/Sony Records albums following on October 8, 2024. The CBS/Sony albums are Flying Beagle (1987) and Sevilla Breeze (1988). Beam (1993) was released on RCA. Additional releases under different names include Himiko Kikuchi Big Band Live (2000), Furusato～Home In My Soul (2005), and DQ * The Live! (2007).
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Himiko Kikuchi born?
Himiko Kikuchi was born on 2 March 1953 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
When was Himiko Kikuchi active?
Himiko Kikuchi has been active since 1965.
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