FUKUSHI TAINAKA 

Master drum player Fukushi Tainaka is one of the best-known Japanese jazz musician of his generation and one of the most in-demand drum players on the international jazz scene. A longtime member of legendary alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson‘s group, Fukushi played alongside countless other prominent jazz artists, including trumpets legend Dizzy Girespie, Bill Hardman and Woody Shaw, guitarists George Benson and Randy Johnston, pianists Champian Fulton, Benny Green, Barry Harris and Junior Mance, organists Dr. Lonnie Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Big John Patton, Akiko Tsuruga, Pat Bianchi, Kyle Koehler. saxophonists Arnett Cobb, Junior Cook, Kenny Garrett, Jimmy Heath, James Moody, David “Fathead” Newman and Frank Wess.
During the past two decades, Fukushi has performed in most New York jazz venues, including Birdland, The Blue Note, Fat Cat, Smalls, Smoke and The Village Vanguard (also defunct club such as Black Duck, Fat Tuesday’s, Garage, Sweet Basil and The Village Gate), as well as playing at major concert halls, jazz clubs, and festivals all over the world. Fukushi’s jazz festival appearances include New York’s prestigious JVC Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center Outdoors, Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Philadelphia Jazz Festival, Cape May Jazz Festival, Iowa Jazz Workshop, Toronto and Montreal Jazz Festivals, as well as major European and Japanese jazz festivals.
Fukushi has toured Japan as often as three times a year since the early 1980s with his own groups, as a member of the acclaimed pianist Shizuko Yokoyama‘s trio, and with Lou Donaldson and other jazz greats. Since the mid-80s, Fukushi has also toured Europe twice every year with Lou Donaldson, appearing at jazz clubs and festivals in European countries. His recording history includes two hit CDs with Lou Donaldson, also appearing in his longtime musical partner Shizuko Yokoyama‘s album To My Mother, and dozens of other recordings from various Japanese jazz labels. Fukushi became a professional jazz drummer in 1976 in Japan.