TOKYO

Billboard Live TOKYO
@Midtown,Roppongi,Tokyo

Schedule

2026.04.20(Mon)

“Tribute to NAOYA MATSUOKA & WESING”

Overview

Naoya Matsuoka, a pioneer of fusion music in Japan and a driving force behind a major Latin piano movement. He passed away on April 29, 2014, leaving behind a wealth of memorable compositions, which his close colleagues and former bandmates—Japan’s top musicians—will honor in a memorial concert centered on performing the numbers of “Naoya Matsuoka & Wishing.” For half a century, his sound has radiated fresh brilliance and power, and it still resonates in listeners’ hearts. His original, dramatic developments and his glamorous, beautiful melodies have been, and continue to be, highly regarded beyond borders. Among them, don’t miss this precious one night tribute to the legendary “Naoya Matsuoka & Wishing,” a act that was always in high demand.

Member

Pianist, composer-arranger, and music producer, a pioneer of Latin fusion music in Japan. He made his professional debut in 1952, and since his first album Joyful Feet (1977), he has released more than 50 original albums in a wide range of styles. Among them, SON (1980) and the New York–recorded In a Strange City (1982) are masterpieces that drew in the king of Latin music Tito Puente and salsa pioneer Ray Barretto. Also, the LA recording Pacific Jam (1981), with Hideshi Toki, spawned a premier fusion unit featuring Byron Miller, Rolando Batista, and Leon Chancler.
Naoya Matsuoka & Wishing’s best-of album September Wind (1982) recorded astonishing sales in Japan. He performed twice at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland (1980, 1983) and earned high praise from overseas. The albums Afternoon Horizon (1983), Summer Journey (1984), and Long For The East (1984) are among the representative works of the Naoya Matsuoka Group. In 2012, to commemorate his 60th anniversary in music, he reassembled Naoya Matsuoka & Wishing and toured, enjoying immense popularity.