Masayoshi Takanaka at The Wiltern

Hailing from Tokyo, Masayoshi Takanaka burst onto the music scene in 1971 by playing guitar and bass in the progressive rock outfit “Flied Egg” alongside the talented Hiro Tsunoda and the late Shigeru Narumo. One year later, he joined “the Sadistic Mika Band” as an esteemed guitarist. While the group parted ways, Masayoshi Takanaka stayed as an active member of “the Sadistics” which was later formed by the remaining members. Fast forward to 1976, and he dropped his debut solo album, “Seychelles”. From then, he issued “Ready To Fly”, “Blue Lagoon” and a whole bunch of hit classics in rapid-fire fashion. The album “Rainbow Goblins” dropped in 1981 and became his magnum-opus, shining brightly amongst all instrumental records released in the Japanese music circuit.

Along the way, Masayoshi Takanaka has joined forces with a number of major players in the music scene, including the likes of Lee Ritenour Santana, Narada Michael Walden, Sheila E, as well as a whole host of other musicians from LA in both live acts and albums. Throughout the seventies, eighties, and nineties, Masayoshi Takanaka continued his solo output, dropping songs under Kitty Records until 1984 and EMI from 1985 through to 2000. At the turn of the millennium, he started up his own personal record label, Lagoon Records. Ever since, this absolute powerhouse has energetically been hitting the road on nationwide tours every year. On 20 November 2021, Masayoshi Takanaka held the golden anniversary of “Rainbow Goblins Final” live at the Nippon Budokan, and it was a blast!

“Jazz fusion is without a doubt the best subgenre of jazz, and Masayoshi uses this to bring wonders to this album. Incredible experiences of optimism, joy and pure energy in these sensational songs. He's already kicked the bucket in the market and showing his talent to everyone. From vocals to impressive instrumentals filled with personality and affection, all the tracks are fantastic and certainly deserve you to listen to them at least once in your life,” cheers Music Board about TAKANAKA.

Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the magic of Masayoshi Takanaka live, up close, and personal at The Wiltern. Book your tickets now to secure your places!