Takahiro Izumikawa is a highly sought-after pianist, keyboardist, arranger, and producer born and raised in Japan. His style has roots in jazz and incorporates Hip-Hop, R&B, Gospel, and traditional Japanese melodies. He released his first piano solo album in 2014, which was sponsored by KAWAI, a major piano manufacturer. He moved to New York City later that year
To further his music career, working with well-known hip hop artists such as Smif&Wessun, Kool Keith, Black Moon, and Smoke DZA. He has also worked with Grammy Award winning musicians Maurice Brown (Anderson.Paak), Keyon Harrold (D’Angelo, Erykah Badu), YEBBA (vocalist), Jermaine Holmes (D’Angelo), Daru Jones (drummer), Mononeon (Prince, Ghost-Note), Marcus Machado (guitarist), and Timothy Bloom (vocalist). In 2016, he performed with Takuya Kuroda, a notable trumpet player who debuted through Blue Note Records at the Blue Note Jazz Festival, which was headlined by Earth Wind and Fire, George Benson, and Marcus Miller. In 2017, he arranged all the tracks on Hard Times, by jazz giant Vincent Herring.
Izumikawa’s latest album “Life is Your Thoughts” is released from major label “Ropeadope” in United States on April 10th, 2020.
The 6th track of the album“Shigan” is sampled by Jermaine Holmes to create the song “Take Me Back” of his new album “Stronger Than My Fears”
Izumikawa’s latest album is a cross-cultural examination, born out of his experiences living and working in both Japan and the United States. Musically, the tracks on the album balance traditional Japanese melodies and Hip-Hop, R&B, and Jazz.The title track Back to the Moon – Life is Your Thoughts is particularly poignant. It’s based on the 10th century Japanese fictional prose narrative Princess Kaguya, which ends with the princess tearfully leaving earth to return to her home on the moon. The song plays out a conversation between the English rap and the Japanese lyrics, taken directly from poems in the original text.
