Biography

Masao HIRAKAWA Born on August 18th, 1970 in Nishinomiya city, Hyogo, Japan. Photo by Delta Started playing the bass when 14 years old, had lessons from Dan Kenny in the church. Joined the Gospel group,The Oasis Band, and had the first gig 3 months later. Though liked listening to fusion music when high school student, there were no members who could play enough with, so kept practicing every day. The Oasis Band had gigs constantly playing originals. Joined in the Modern Jazz Club after entered Yokohama National University, then started listening Jazz and playing the wood bass. Decided to be a professional musician when sophomore and had a temporary absence to go to the U.S. I dared NOT to play the bass during my stay because I needed to know whether my decision was right or not. Quit university after being back to Japan and entered Mesar Music College. Took lessons from Ken WATANABE on electric bass and from Nobuyoshi INO on wood bass. Have played with Hidefumi TOKI, Manabu OHISHI, Charito, Marty Blacy, Tomoo TSURUYA, Masahiro FUJIOKA, Kohichi YABORI, Kiyomi OTAKA, Tomohiko NISHIMURA (ex. Sing Like Talking), Akio DOBASHI (aka. Crude Reality/ex. REBECCA), Obawo NAkAJIMA, Kouichi KORENAGA, Hirokuni KOREKATA, Hirotaka IZUMI (ex. T-SQUARE), Kozue SAITOH, 8-bunno Vanilla, Chieko TSUTSUMI, Tom & Joyce, Jazztronik, Bebe, K., Tetsuya MATSUMOTO, and more. Also have recorded on m-flo, K., Jazztronik, Bebe, Takeo YAMASHITA, Mayu KITAKI, Time FellowShip, and more. Prefer solo bass style, playing melody/rhythm/harmony on 4-string electric bass as lifework. Teaching electric/upright bass and music theory is well received for a long time. Have started a career as a music writer since 2008, and have been writing for Jazz Life (Sanei Shobo Publishing), Bass Magazine (Ritor Music), Jazz Guitar Book (Shinko Music), and so on. Influences Jaco Pastorius, Darryl Jones, Anthony Jackson, Aberaham Laboriel, Victor Bailey, Jeff Berlin, Victor Wooten, Daniel Kenny, Ittoku Kishibe, Ken Watanabe, Yoshihiro Naruse, Tetsuo Sakurai Charlie Haden, Charles Mingus, Scott LaFaro, Charnette Moffett, Nobuyoshi Ino Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Joe Pass, Stanley Jordan, Tuck Andress Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Richard Tee, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Michael Brecker, Weather Report, Stuff, Steps Ahead Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Carol King, Amy Grant, Elvis Costello, Sting, Akiko Yano, Sugar

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