Fumio Karashima

Fumio Karashima (辛島文雄, 9 March 1948 – 24 February 2017) was a Japanese jazz pianist. Karashima began playing the piano at the age of three. His father was a music teacher at Kyushu University; Karashima attended the same university. He stayed in New York in 1973, but returned to Japan the next year. In 1975 he joined drummer George Ohtsuka's band. In 1980 he joined Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine, and stayed for five years, including for tours of Europe and the United States. He then switched to being principally a solo pianist, but also led a quintet from 1988 to 1991. During the 1990s he frequently toured internationally. He died of cancer on 24 February 2017. Discography 2015*Everything I LovePit InnSolo piano 2014*A Time for LovePit InnTrio, with Satsuki Kusui (bass), Nobuyuki Komatsu (drums) 2012*SummertimePit InnQuintet, with Atsushi Ikeda and Masanori Okazaki (sax), Satsuk Kusui (bass), Nobuyuki Komastsu (drums) 2010*E.J. BluesPit InnQuartet, with Masanori Okazaki (sax), Ryu Kawamura (bass), Takeo Moriyama (drums) 2008Moon RiverVideoArtsSolo piano 2005Great TimeVideoArtsTrio, with Drew Gress (bass), Jack DeJohnette (drums) 2003It's Just BeginningVideoArtsTrio, with Yosuke Inoue (bass), Shingo Okudaira (drums) 2002Grand New TouchVideoArtsDuo, with Kei Akagi (piano) 2001The Elysian AirVideoArtsTrio, with Yosuke Inoue (bass), Shingo Okudaira (drums) 1999*RencontreEmarcy, Polydor JapanDuet, with Toots Thielemans 1983Round MidnightAbsordQuartet, with Larry Coryell (guitar), Ikuo Sakurai (bass), Motohiko Hino (drums) 1982Elegant EveningAbsordTrio, with Ikuo Sakurai (bass), Motohiko Hino (drums) 1981A Child in the WindAbsordTrio, with Richard Davis (bass), George Ohtsuka (drums) 1980ShoAbsordTrio, with Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), George Ohtsuka (drums) 1978Hot IslandsAbsordQuartet, with Mabumi Yamaguchi (sax), Miroslav Vitous (bass), George Ohtsuka (drums) 1978MoonflowerAbsordTrio, with Andy McCloud (bass), Elvin Jones (drums) 1977GatheringThree Blind MiceMost tracks trio, with Isao Suzuki (bass), George Ohtsuka (drums); one track solo piano 1977LandscapeWhynotTrio, with George Mraz (bass), Motohiko Hino (drums) 1975PiranhaWhynotTrio, with Isao Suzuki (bass), Jimmy Hopps (drums) An asterisk (*) after the year indicates that it is the year of release.