Toku (musician)
Japanese jazz vocalist and flugelhorn player who bridged jazz and J-pop.
Toku (styled TOKU) is a Japanese jazz musician born in Niigata Prefecture. He is among the few professional jazz vocalists and flugelhorn players in Japan, recognized for advancing jazz and merging its elements with J-pop via collaborations with artists such as clammbon, Miki Imai, Maki Oguro, Yuji Ohno, Mariko Takahashi, Ken Hirai, DOUBLE, m-flo, and Exile.
Growing up, Toku was exposed to a wide range of music through his father. He started learning the cornet in junior high school, later picking up the trumpet and flugelhorn. In high school, he played in a cover band focused on rock and pop, continuing into college. At a campus festival, a jazz drummer heard him perform Miles Davis’s version of “If I Were a Bell” and invited him to a jam session, which sparked his interest in jazz. During his junior year, he moved to the United States to study English at Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) in Salem, Oregon, where he played in a band with his roommate, a jazz pianist.
After graduating, Toku began singing at the jazz club BODY & SOUL. There, he was scouted by Rob Crocker, a DJ from Tokyo’s INTER-FM, who had heard him play the same Miles Davis piece. This led to a contract with Sony Music Records Inc. His debut album, *Everything She Said* (produced by Crocker), was released on January 21, 1999. That August, he performed at Blue Note Tokyo, and in November he gave his first overseas show at Konkuk University’s New Millennium Hall in Seoul, South Korea. The following year, he released his second album, *Bewitching*. In 2002, his fame grew with the song “You Are So Beautiful” for a Hitachi TV commercial and his first single, “Do-Re-Mi,” for a Honda Odyssey ad campaign. He has since released twelve albums and performed internationally at events including the Jazzy Shanghai Festival, Paris Jazz Festival, Hong Kong International Jazz Festival, and Jakarta International JAVA JAZZ Festival. In 2010, he recorded with Cyndi Lauper for the Japanese edition of her album *Memphis Blues* and played on the Japanese leg of her tour.
In 2004, Toku, Kenji Hino, and Yosuke Onuma formed the group TKY after a trip to New York. They performed at Fuji Rock 2004 and expanded to a quintet with keyboardist Shinji Akita and drummer Hidenobu “Kalta” Otsuki. TKY disbanded by the end of 2005.
In his free time, Toku enjoys photography.
- born
- February 20, 1973
- field
- Jazz musician, vocalist, flugelhorn player
- nationality
- Japanese
- known_for
- Promoting jazz in Japan, blending jazz with J-pop, collaborations with artists such as clammbon, Miki Imai, Maki Oguro, Yuji Ohno, Mariko Takahashi, Ken Hirai, DOUBLE, m-flo, and Exile
Lore & Background
Toku was born on February 20, 1973, in Niigata Prefecture. Under his father's influence, he grew up enjoying all kinds of music. In junior high school he began learning the cornet, later picking up the trumpet and flugelhorn. In high school, he played in a cover band performing rock and pop songs, continuing into college. At a campus festival, a jazz drummer heard him play Miles Davis' version of 'If I Were a Bell' and invited him to a jam session, where Toku became inspired to pursue jazz. In his junior year of college, he moved to the United States to learn English at Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) in Salem, Oregon, where he played in a band with his roommate, a jazz pianist.
After graduating, Toku began singing at the jazz club BODY & SOUL. There, he was scouted by Rob Crocker, a DJ from Tokyo radi
Reader's Guide
Toku's significance lies in his role as a rare professional jazz vocalist and flugelhorn player in Japan, and his efforts to promote jazz within the country by integrating it into J-pop. His collaborations with major J-pop artists such as clammbon, Miki Imai, Maki Oguro, Yuji Ohno, Mariko Takahashi, Ken Hirai, DOUBLE, m-flo, and Exile helped bring jazz elements to a wider audience. His career was launched after being scouted at a jazz club by a radio DJ, leading to a contract with Sony Music and a series of albums and singles, including the commercially successful 'Do-Re-Mi' for a Honda ad campaign. His international performances at festivals in Shanghai, Paris, Hong Kong, and Jakarta, as well as his work with Cyndi Lauper, demonstrate his reach beyond Japan. The short-lived group TKY, formed with other musicians, further shows his collaborative spirit. Toku's legacy is that of a bridge between traditional jazz and popular music in Japan, expanding the genre's accessibility.
Did You Know?
- Toku was scouted by a radio DJ after playing Miles Davis' version of 'If I Were a Bell' at the jazz club BODY & SOUL.
- He recorded with Cyndi Lauper for the Japanese edition of her album 'Memphis Blues' in 2011.
- Toku formed the group TKY in 2004 with Kenji Hino and Yosuke Onuma, which disbanded by the end of 2005.
- His first single 'Do-Re-Mi' was used in a Honda Odyssey ad campaign in 2002.
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