Fumio Karashima, Japanese jazz pianist, Died at 68

  Music

Fumio Karashima was born on March 6, 1948, and died on February 24, 2017.

He was a Japanese jazz pianist.

He started playing the piano at the age of three.

Fumio Karashima’s father was a music teacher at Kyushu University; Karashima attended the same university.

Fumio Karashima had remained in New York in 1973, but returned to Japan the next year.

Karashima joined drummer George Ohtsuka’s band, in 1975.

During 1980, Fumio Karashima joined Elvin Jones’ Jazz Machine, and stayed for five years, including for tours of Europe and the United States.

Then, Fumio Karashima switched to being principally a solo pianist, but also led a quintet from 1988 to 1991.

In the 1990s he frequently toured internationally.

Fumio Karashima passed away at 68 years old.