Tak Matsumoto
Encyclopedia
is a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

-winning Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese guitarist, producer, arranger, composer, singer and songwriter. In addition to guitarist and lead composer for the hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...

 band B'z
B'z
is a Japanese hard rock duo, composed of and .B'z has released 45 consecutive #1 singles, 24 #1 albums, and sold more than 79 million records in Japan alone...

, he has also had a successful solo career.

Background

Tak's formal education in jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 was minimal, but when he started working as a session musician, and supporting many tours like TM Network
TM Network
TM Network is a Japanese pop/rock musical band. The members are Tetsuya Komuro , Takashi Utsunomiya and Naoto Kine...

, 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
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 (his incorporation of the style known as "Kansai Blues" is well known), classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...

, metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

, and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...

.

Tak continued his session work throughout the early and mid-1980s 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
Globe (band)
Globe is a dance-oriented Japanese pop band, formed in 1995 by producer and songwriter Tetsuya Komuro. Originally consisting of Komuro, Keiko Yamada and Marc Panther, the group's singles consistently hit the charts...

 headliner Tetsuya Komuro
Tetsuya Komuro
, also known as TK, is a Japanese keyboardist, guitarist, singer, songwriter and music producer born on November 27, 1958 in Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan. He is recognized as being the most successful producer in Japanese music history and introduced dance music to the Japanese mainstream...

. "99", a simple instrumental incorporating some blistering fretwork, is considered one of his finest works.

After the solo album he decided to try his hand at starting his own band. With his session work behind him, and a burgeoning production career, he started to search for a singer. After being presented with a tape from an unknown session singer known as Koshi Inaba
Koshi Inaba
is a Japanese vocalist. His real name is . He graduated from the Faculty of Education at the Yokohama National University, and has a degree in mathematics.- Musical career :...

, Tak was blown away. Their first recorded session was a rendition of "Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...

" of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 fame, and even though the amp blew out, Tak knew he had his new singer. Tak and Koshi formed the band B'z
B'z
is a Japanese hard rock duo, composed of and .B'z has released 45 consecutive #1 singles, 24 #1 albums, and sold more than 79 million records in Japan alone...

 and debuted in September 1988. B'z has continued to be one of the most successful bands in the history of Japanese music, helped by the pairing of two very different musical directions. Tak always drew his tastes from blues, classical, and jazz, while Koshi preferred rock music. Tak has ongoing friendships with musicians such as Barry Sparks
Barry Sparks
Barry Sparks is the former bass player of Yngwie Malmsteen, UFO, Dokken, and Ted Nugent amongst others.-UFO:...

, Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (guitarist)
Marty Friedman is a guitarist, well known for his tenure as the lead/rhythm guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth, which lasted almost a decade...

, Billy Sheehan
Billy Sheehan
William "Billy" Sheehan is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style...

, Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

, Eric Martin, Jack Blades
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...

, Joe Perry
Joe Perry (musician)
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...

, Pat Torpey
Pat Torpey
Pat Torpey is an American rock and roll drummer, known as the drummer of the hard rock band Mr. Big. He has also played for Impellitteri, The Knack, David Lee Roth Band and the Exile Social Club. He is noted by Neil Peart for composing unique rhythms such as that of "Take Cover", a rock song from...

, Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...

, and Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....

, with whom Tak and Koshi recorded the song "Asian Sky" from the 1999 album, The Ultra Zone
The Ultra Zone
The Ultra Zone is a 1999 album from guitarist Steve Vai.The Ultra Zone is structurally similar to Vai's previous album, Fire Garden, in that the first half of the album consists mainly of instrumentals, and the second half mainly of vocal songs; however, unlike Fire Garden, The Ultra Zone is not...

. Billy Sheehan recorded tracks for 1999's Brotherhood
Brotherhood (B'z album)
Brotherhood is the tenth album by Japanese hard rock band B'z, released on July 14, 1999. The catalogue code for this album is BMCR-7034. "Brotherhood" debuted with over 1,019,270 copies sold and sold over 1,391,850 copies...

album, as well as touring (along with Shane Gaalaas) as support musicians for 2002's Green Live-Gym Tour.

In 2002, Tak Matsumoto contributed music to two songs ("Don't Stop Music!" and "Koiuta") in Misia's fourth album, Kiss in the Sky
Kiss in the Sky
Kiss in the Sky is Misia's fourth studio album and first under Avex Trax subsidiary label Rhythmedia Tribe, released on September 26, 2002. It sold 410,060 copies in its first week and peaked at #1 for two consecutive weeks...

. She invited him to be a part of the album after discovering his solo work.

In 2004, Tak formed the "Tak Matsumoto Group
Tak Matsumoto Group
Tak Matsumoto Group is a supergroup consisting of members from several bands around the world. Since 2004, the group includes Tak Matsumoto, Eric Martin, Jack Blades and Brian Tichy.- TMG I lineup :...

" with Eric Martin on vocal, Jack Blades
Jack Blades
Jack Martin Blades is an American musician. He has worked in several bands: Rubicon, Night Ranger , and Damn Yankees . He also recorded with Tommy Shaw under the name Shaw/Blades, and has done work alongside TMG, the Tak Matsumoto Group...

 on bass, and Brian Tichy
Brian Tichy
Brian Tichy is a drummer, guitar player, vocalist and songwriter. He is currently the drummer with Whitesnake. Previously he was the drummer for Foreigner from 2009 until 2010, when he was replaced by Jason Sutter. Tichy began playing drums at age eight and started playing guitar at age 12...

 on drums, forging ahead with his own brand of musical genius. Tak played guitar, produced the album and wrote songs while Eric and Jack wrote lyrics. On March, the single "Oh Japan ~Our Time Is Now~", was released. The album TMG I
TMG I
TMG I is the debut album for Japanese-based supergroup Tak Matsumoto Group, released on June 23, 2004. Eric Martin wrote all lyrics, while Tak Matsumoto, the founder of the band, and of B’z fame, was responsible for all music.- Track listing :...

that made Tak go back and forth to US for the recording, was released on June 23. Tak has had this project idea for a long time; the album mixes rock and oriental sounds. The album topped the chart on the first week.

Tak energetically kept working. On July 18, 19 and 20, Tak had a collaboration concert with Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
The , or TSO, was established in 1946 as the Toho Symphony Orchestra . It assumed its present name in 1951.Based in Kawasaki, the TSO performs in numerous concert halls and serves as the pit ensemble for some productions at New National Theatre, Tokyo, the city's leading opera house...

 at Suntory Hall. At this special concert named Tokyo Special Collaboration 2004 Matsumoto Takahiro -HANA-, Tak played B'z hit "Love Phantom
Love Phantom
"Love Phantom" is the eighteenth single by B'z, released on October 11, 1995. This song is one of B'z many number-one singles in Oricon chart. The song was used as ending theme for The X-Files during the height of its popularity in Japan. The single sold over 950,000 copies within one week. It sold...

" and solo number "HANA" with only his guitar and Orchestra.

Soon after, TMG started its tour rehearsal. From July 30, the "Dodge The Bullet" tour started at ZEPP Fukuoka. Chris Frazier
Chris Frazier
Christopher Ridgeway Frazier is a musician who became the drummer of veteran rock band Whitesnake in December 2007 and left in June 2010...

 who played songs on the B'z album Big Machine
Big Machine (album)
Big Machine is the thirteenth album by Japanese hard rock band B'z, released on September 17, 2003. The catalogue code for this album is BMCV-8008.-Track listing:#"アラクレ" [ARAKURE] – 3:25#"野性のENERGY" [Yasei no ENERGY] – 4:39#"Wake Up, Right Now" – 3:18...

joined as drummer for this tour. TMG had 16 shows in 8 locations including the last show at Nihon Budokan.

In November, Tak established his own label "House of Strings" which emphasizes guitarists and string musicians. He recorded again at a studio the songs played with orchestra in July, and released it as the first House of Strings CD with the same title on the album. It is an instrumental album including Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 numbers such as "Itsukano Merry Christmas" and "HOLY NIGHT".

Tak has said over the years that he has many favourite artists, from whom he has drawn much inspiration, such as: Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...

, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...

, Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...

, Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter and producer, best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...

, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...

, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

 and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

. He has also cited a love of classical music, which was the catalyst for the incorporation of strings into many B'z compositions. He has also worked with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
, commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band officially formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene...

 for many years, and their work often appears on many of the earlier B'z albums.

Tak was given his own Signature Model Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...

 from Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...

 in 1999. Tak Matsumoto was added to the Gibson signature artist club as the first and to date, the only guitarist from Asia. He currently holds the record with 4 different signature models produced, including a new tiger-striped, offset double cut model, which incorporates his new, specially wound TM-1 pickups. His Les Paul model was also adapted into an Epiphone made for commercial sale in the US.

Tak wrote the music of "Real Face" for KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN
KAT-TUN is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates in 2001. The group's name is an acronym based on the first letter of each member's family name until the departure of Jin Akanishi in 2010. As of 2010, KAT-TUN stands for Kazuya KAmenashi, Junnosuke Taguchi, Koki Tanaka, Tatsuya Ueda,...

. According to Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...

, "Real Face" became the Japanese best-selling single in 2006.

In 2010, after the tour "Ain't No Magic" with B'z, he worked with guitarist Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton
Larry Carlton is an American jazz, smooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and rock guitarist and singer. He has divided his recording time between solo recordings and session appearances with various well-known bands...

. They released together an album called Take Your Pick
Take Your Pick (album)
Take Your Pick is an instrumental studio album by Larry Carlton and Tak Matsumoto, released by Vermillion Records on June 2, 2010 in Japan. The album debuted at number 2 on the Japanese Oricon weekly album charts...

in June 2010, available in Japan and around the world. The album was considered for nomination for nine categories of the 2011 Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...

, and ended up winning the award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.

Early career

  1. 'Tak' Matsumoto Yamaha MGM Signature Model (1986–1989)
  2. 'Tak' Matsumoto Yamaha MGM-II Signature Model (1989–1992)
  3. 'Tak' Matsumoto Yamaha MGM-III Signature Model (1993–1995)
  4. Gibson Les Paul Standard Gold Top (1991–1998)
  5. Music Man
    Music Man (company)
    Music Man is an American guitar, and bass guitar manufacturer. It is a division of the Ernie Ball corporation.-Early years:The Music Man story began in 1971 when Forrest White and Tom Walker talked with Leo Fender about starting a company they would call Tri-Sonic, Inc...

     EVH Signature Model (1995–1998)
  6. (Mesa Boogie) Mark III head amp (1985–1991)
  7. VHT 100 watt rack-mounted heads (1985–1991)
  8. (Mesa Boogie) 2 channel Dual Rectifier 100 watt (1992–1995)
  9. (Mesa Boogie) 4 X 12 celestion speaker (Rebadged to a Ferrari emblem)
  10. Rockman preamp (1988–1997)
  11. Marshall JCM 800 100 watt heads (1994)
  12. Marshall 4x12's with Celestion
    Celestion
    Celestion is a British maker of loudspeakers.-History:The work of what would become Celestion started in Hampton Wick in 1924. Celestion Radio Company and Celestion Limited were formed in 1927, and two years later the company moved across the Thames to Kingston. The company grew rapidly, but was...

     speakers (Rebadged "Matsumoto") (1992–1997)
  13. Peavey
    Peavey Electronics
    Peavey Electronics Corporation is one of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in the world, headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi in the United States.- History :...

     5150
    Peavey 5150 Amplifier
    The Peavey 5150 is an all-tube guitar amplifier made by Peavey Electronics from 1991–present as a signature model for Edward Van Halen. Since Van Halen and Peavey parted ways in 2004, the name of the model was changed to 6505, with Van Halen taking the 5150 name for his company, EVH, to name his...

     guitar amp (1996–2000)
  14. Peavey 5150II 100 watt amplifier (2000–2002)
  15. EMB Audio Remote wah system

2002—

  1. 'Tak' Matsumoto Gibson Les Paul
    Gibson Les Paul
    The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...

     Signature Model (4 types)
  2. Bogner
    Bogner
    Bogner is an American guitar amplifier manufacturing company founded by Reinhold Bogner in 1989 in Los Angeles, California, best known for the Shiva, Ecstasy, and Überschall guitar amplifiers.-Models:*Ecstasy 100A and 100B:...

     Ecstasy Classic 100 watt Amplifiers
  3. Bogner Uberschall 100 Watt Amplifiers
  4. Bogner "Rei" 4x12 cabinets (with specially voiced custom speakers)
  5. Budda
    Budda Amplification
    Budda Amplification is an American company that designs and manufactures electric guitar amplifiers and effects pedals. Founded by chief designer Jeff Bober and Scot Sier in 1995, the company debuted its first amplifier, the 18-watt Class A/B Twinmaster Ten, at the NAMM show the following year,...

     Budwah
  6. Digitech Whammy Pedal
  7. Taurus Distortion Pedal
  8. Dunlop 1.00 Guitar Picks
  9. Sadowsky Tokyo Stratocaster Type (2006, from the Monster's Garage)

Tak has also amassed a substantial guitar collection, including the following:
  1. 1870 Martin C-7 Acoustic Guitar
  2. 1937 Martin 000-18 Acoustic Guitar
  3. 1952 Fender Telecaster (Butterscotch Blonde)
  4. 1954 Fender Stratocaster (Tobacco Sunburst)
  5. 1956 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (with 'Soapbar' pickups)
  6. 1959 Gibson Les Paul Flametop (with PAF pickups)
  7. 1962 Fender Stratocaster (Fiesta Red)
  8. 1962 Gibson SG


Tak is also an avid collector of older guitar amplifiers, as well as an accomplished bass player. Aside from guitars, he also owns other instruments, such as a few sitars, electric and otherwise.

Albums

  1. Thousand Wave (May 21, 1988)
  2. Wanna Go Home (April 22, 1992)
  3. Knockin' "T" Around (April 14, 1999)
  4. Dragon From The West (February 27, 2002)
  5. 華 (Hana) (February 27, 2002)
  6. Rock'n Roll Standard Club (May 15, 1996)
  7. Thousand Wave Plus (October 7, 1996)
  8. The Hit Parade (November 26, 2003)
  9. House Of Strings (November 24, 2004)
  10. Ultraman Original Soundtrack (July 20, 2005)
  11. Theatre Of Strings (October 19, 2005)
  12. Take Your Pick
    Take Your Pick (album)
    Take Your Pick is an instrumental studio album by Larry Carlton and Tak Matsumoto, released by Vermillion Records on June 2, 2010 in Japan. The album debuted at number 2 on the Japanese Oricon weekly album charts...

    (June 2, 2010)

Singles

  1. '88 ~ Love Story/Love Ya (September 25, 1991) (8th in Oricon)
  2. #1090 Thousand Dreams/LIFE (March 18, 1992) (3rd in Oricon)
  3. The Changing (March 25, 1999) (3rd in Oricon)
  4. 異邦人 (Ihoujin) (August 27, 2003); features Zard
    Zard
    was a Japanese pop group. Originally a group of five members, with lead vocalist Izumi Sakai as group leader. However, Sakai was the only member who stayed on in the group while others joined and left regularly. As such, Zard and Sakai may be referred to interchangeably. Zard's work was sold under...

     (2nd in Oricon)
  5. イミテイション・ゴールド [Imitation Gold] (October 8, 2003); features Mai Kuraki
    Mai Kuraki
    is a Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter and producer from Funabashi, Chiba. Kuraki debuted in 1999 with the single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow". In 2000, she released her debut album, Delicious Way, which debuted at number-one and sold over 2,210,000 copies in its first week...

     and Nakamura Yuri of GARNET CROW
    GARNET CROW
    Garnet Crow is a Japanese pop/rock band formed in 1999 and associated with the Giza Studio record label. Members include Yuri Nakamura, Hitoshi Okamoto, Nana Azuki, and Hirohito Furui, with Nakamura leading on vocals...

    (1st in Oricon)

External links

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