For Your Next Summer

Overview: We're going to be taking a drastic change from grueling metal in my previous blog to music that makes you feel like you should be sipping on something tropical along the palm beaches of the Cayman Islands.

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A solo artist I just recently got into this summer, Masayoshi Takanaka, has the perfect music to enjoy on a hot day with a slight breeze in the air. His unique style of blending jazz-fusion with rock and funk creates memorable and fun melodies that are paired with emotional and complex solos that feel like a wave of tranquility just washed over you.

[Yokogao Magazine]

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Born in Kita, Tokyo, Takanaka showed a great interest in music and started playing guitar at a young age with his older brother. He mainly took inspiration from Alvin Lee's quick and fluid guitar playing, which is shown greatly in his mesmerizing guitar playing, and also took early inspiration from The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton. Takanaka also has a bit of Latin American influence in his music from taking inspiration from the band Santana. Both him and Carlos Santana preformed live in Japan at Yokohama Stadium, (1981) where during the performance of Santana's song Europa, Takanaka had broken a string during his solo yet still managed to play the whole song with a missing string. (string break at 3:40)

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If you've never listened to anything close to Masayoshi Takanaka, the first album I'd recommend has to be All Of Me (1979) which is a compilation of all of his of his greatest hits from 1976 to 1978 where in that time he produced 5 studio records. The cover for this record was shot from over Yoronjima, which is a remote island in the Pacific Ocean near Okinawa.

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My favorite song however is not on this record because is has the classic feel-good beach vibe, which is a staple of his music, along with a funky bass line and a head turning intro that pairs beautifully with an intricate solo, showcasing the best parts of Takanaka's music all in one song.

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Just recently, after only ever playing in the United States twice, Masayoshi Takanaka did a one-off show in L.A. on March 9th and 10th. He then later announced that he will be doing a 2026 World tour, where, in a recent interview, he said that there were shows already confirmed to be in 4 US cities, along with London, Sydney, and Melbourne. People are speculating that the four cities that he will be touring in will be Chicago, New York, L.A. again, or Seattle or Orlando.

[from instagram @takanaka_vibes]

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