Takao Ogawa

Takao Ogawa
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Born	(1950-08-07) August 7, 1950 Tokyo, Japan
Alma mater	Tokyo Medical University, An Music School, New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science
Occupation	novelist, music journalist, producer, guitarist, orthopedic surgeon
Known for	jazz books

Takao Ogawa (小川隆夫born August 7, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese novelist, music journalist, music producer, composer, guitarist, and also an orthopedic surgeon. He is known for his work in various music fields, particularly jazz, and as a complete collector of Blue Note.

Ogawa learned classical guitar at a young age and formed a band in high school. He later pursued a career in medicine while playing jazz guitar in a band. Over the next forty years, Ogawa has written liner notes for more than 3,000 records and CDs of American/European/Japanese jazz musicians and produced CDs.He interviewed more than 1,000 musicians and related people among whom Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Oscar Peterson, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Charlie Watts, Andy Summers, Sadao Watanabe, Terumasa Hino, Alfred Lion, Bob Weinstock, Orrin Keepnews, and Creed Taylor. Ogawa befriended Miles Davis in 1985 and wrote seven books about him. He has written many articles and books mainly about jazz and formed Selim Slive Elementz, an electric free jazz rock band in 2016, in homage to Miles Davis.

Ogawa established Flatout Productions in Tokyo, Japan and in New York, a music production company producing albums for Dennis Chambers, the keyboardist Adam Holzman who played with Miles Davis, Bob Mintzer, Curtis Fuller and other artists.Ogawa came from a musical family. Among his cousins are classical music conductor Yuzo Toyama and classical vocalist, and chorus master, Koji Toyama.

Ogawa is Director of Orthopedics at Central Clinic in Tokyo, Japan.

Early life and education

Ogawa started learning classical guitar when he was 10 years old and he was impressed by João Gilberto’s guitar style which he heard from the Getz / Gilberto album at the age of 13. That started his interest in Bossa nova. Around that time, he formed a band with his junior high school classmates in the same style as The Ventures. When in high school, Ogawa played folk songs in a band, played on radio stations and concert halls, and played with a Rhythm & blues band in discothèques in Tokyo.

Ogawa entered Tokyo Medical University in 1970. He started playing jazz guitar in a jazz band in parallel with his activities in rock bands. He studied jazz guitar and music theory under Yasumasa Suzuki at “An Music School” in 1971 and formed a jazz band with students of the same school and played at jazz cafes and hotel lounges in Tokyo. After that, his schoolwork as a medical student became very demanding, so he gave up all band activities.

In 1977, Ogawa obtained his medical license and joined the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Tokyo Medical University and went to the Graduate School of Tokyo Medical University at the same time, where he studied the mechanism of the occurrence of scoliosis. From 1981 to 1983, Ogawa studied social rehabilitation at New York University Graduate School.

During this time, he got to know Wynton Marsalis and his brother Branford and Art Blakey who all lived in the building next to his place, as well as Max Gordon, the owner of Village Vanguard and many others.

Career

After returning to Japan in 1983, Ogawa started working as a music critic, translator, journalist, and musical event producer, jazz in particular.

In 1985, he met Alfred Lion, the founder of Blue Note Records, and when Lion came to Japan the following year, he traveled together with Ogawa as his doctor. That year, Ogawa interviewed Miles Davis, and this led to a long-time friendship between them. By the time Miles left this world in 1991, Ogawa had had nearly 20 interviews and meetings with Miles and based on these experiences he published "The Truth About Miles Davis" and "Miles Speaks - Everything that Miles Davis Told."

During the mid-1980’s Ogawa was successfully the Director of Shinano Medical and Welfare Center in Japan, the Director of the Orthopedics Department at Tokyo Kamata Medical Center, and Deputy Director of Orthopedics at Tokyo Yamate Medical Center.

In 1989, Ogawa quit working at the hospital and started working as a freelance doctor. He established Flatout Productions in Tokyo and in New York and launched labels such as Glass House (Pioneer LDC), and Savoy (Nippon Columbia) and produced works from New York. Ogawa started writing books around this time.

Since 2010, Ogawa has focused on interviews with Japanese musicians, especially about the situation of Japanese jazz after World War II and the development of jazz. He wrote "Jazz in Japan through Testimonials,” and introduced those Japanese musicians through books such as "Legendary Live in Japan - Jazz History Revealed through Records and Memories” and "All Recordings of Jazzmen Visiting Japan from 1931 to 1979.”

In 2016, he formed Selim Slive Elementz, a band in memory of Miles Davis, with Japanese leading club jazz musicians. They performed at Tokyo Jazz, Shinjuku "Pit-in” Yokohama, "Motion Blue Yokohama," Shibuya "JZ Brat," Daikanyama, "If it's sunny, throw beans in the sky (Haretara Sorani Mame Maite)."

In 2017, they released their debut album "Resurrection" (T5Jazz Records) and "Voice" (Flatout/Ultra-Vybe) in 2019.

Ogawa regularly hosts radio broadcasts on NHK-FM and other radio stations such as “Jazz Miles” a radio show on Miles Davis aired on NHK in Japan.

Recognition

In 2015, Ogawa won the "Music Pen Club Music Award" for his work: "Jazz in Japan through Testimonials"

Selected works

• “Declaration! Jazz Talkin’ 激白！JAZZ TALKIN’” (Swing Journal) 1992, Language: Japanese Language: Japanese ISBN 4-880-67020-0
• “Jazz Saxophone Definitive Editionジャズ · サックス決定盤” (Ongaku No Tomosha) 1994, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-276-35121-9
• “You seem to know but you don't – Interesting Jazz Trivia Encyclopedia 知ってるようで知らない〜ジャズおもしろ雑学事典” (Yamaha Music Media) 2001, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-636-20750-5
• “Jazz Ultra Guide Jazzウルトラ · ガイド” (Heibonsha Shinsho) 2001, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-582-85105-3
• “New York Jazz - Perfect Jazz Guide 200 ニューヨークJazz – パーフェクト· ジャズ · ガイド (Tokyo Kirarasha/Sanichi Shobo) 2002, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-380-02200-5
• “The Truth about Miles Davis マイルス·デイヴィスの真実” (Heibonsha) 2002, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-582-83127-3
• “Miles Davis - Complete Disc Guide マイルス·デイヴィス – コンプリート·デスク· ガイド” (Tokyo Kirarasha) 2002, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-380-02210-2
• “Thorough capture! Super Difficult Questions - Miles Davis – The Strongest Super Trivia in History 徹底攻略！超難問集マイルス·デイヴィス編―史上最強の超雑学” (Yamaha Music Media) 2003, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-636-20661-4
• “Selected Jazz Masterpieces to Listen to After Reading 新音楽解体入門読んでから聴く厳選ジャズ名盤” (All Music Score Publishing House) 2003, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-11-880161-2
• “Blue Note Jazz　ブルーノート· ジャズ” (Heibonsha Shinsho) 2003, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-582-85198-3
• “A Truth History of Blue Note ブルーノートの真実” (Tokyo Kirarasha) 2004, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-380-04206-5
• “All about The Beatles’ American Records ビートルズ　アメリカ盤のすべて” (Shueisha International) 2004, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-7976-7132-7
• “Best of Jazz Piano　ベスト · オブ · ジャズ · ピアノ” (Heibonsha Shinsho) 2005, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-582-85257-2
• “How to Enjoy Jazz ジャズのたしなみ方” (All Music Score Publishing House) 2005, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-11-880171-X
• “The First Blue Note はじめてのブルーノート” (Ongaku No Tomosha On Books 21) 2005, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-276-35209-6
• “Talkin' Jazz X Literature　Talkin’ ジャズX文学” (Heibonsha) 2005, Language: Japanese , Dialogue with Akutagawa Prize writer Keiichiro Hirano 2005, ISBN 4-582-83290-3
• “Manhattan Jazz Catalog マンハッタン· ジャズ·カタログ” (All Music Score Publishers) 2005, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-11-880174-4
• “Blue Note Collector's Guide ブルーノート·コレクターズガイド” (Tokyo Kirarasha) 2006, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-380-06200-7
• “Jazz Talk Jazz ジャズ·トーク·ジャズ” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2006 Language: Japanese, ISBN 4-309-26894-3
• “The Timeless Jazz Masterpieces 100 Loved by Jazzman ジャズマンが愛する不朽のJazz名盤100” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2006, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-309-26912-5
• “My Neighbor, Wyntonとなりのウイントン” (NHK Publishing) 2006, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-14-081152-8
• “All OF THE JAZZ STANDARDS スタンダード·ジャズのすべての大辞典 ベスト850” (All Music Score Publishing House) 2006, Language: Japanese ISBN 4-11-774030-X
• “JAZZ MEN, I LOVE THOSE CATS 2 愛しのジャズメン” (Tokyo Kirarasha) 2007, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-380-07208-6
• “Jazz Man Jazz Name Record 100 of gem! Heard Wayジャズマンはこう聴いた! 珠玉のジャズ名盤100” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2007, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-26952-8
• “JAZZ MEN, I LOVE THOSE CATS 2 愛しのジャズメン2” (Tokyo Kirara) 2007, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-380-07219-2
• “Who is Miles Davis – 21 People around the "Emperor of Jazz”　マイルス·デイヴィスとは誰か―「ジャズの帝王」を巡る21人” (Heibonsha Shinsho) Co-authored with Akutagawa Prize writer Keiichiro Hirano 2007, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-582-85392-6
• “100 Jazz Hidden Masterpieces Edition That Jazz Man Loves　ジャズマンがコッソリ愛するジャズ隠れ名盤100” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2007, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-26989-4
• “A Fun Trivia Dictionary of Jazz Masterpieces that You Seem to Know but You Don't 知っているようで知らないジャズ名盤おもしろ雑学事典” (Yamaha Music Media) 2008, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-636-82577-0
• “Jazz Dressing Room Chats - Beloved Jazzmen ジャズ楽屋噺 – 愛しきジャズマン達” (Tokyo Kirarasha) 2008, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-90775-8
• “Jazzman Talks About Jazz Standards 120 ジャズマンが語るジャズ· スタンダード120” (All Music Score Publishing House) 2008, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-11-774032-5
• “Decided! This is the Jazz Golden Combinations in Jazz!! 決定! Jazz黄金コンビはこれだ!!” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2008, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-27018-0
• “The Blue Note, The Truth Behind The Cover 1500 series ザ·ブルーノート、ジャケ裏の真実1500番台編” (Kodansha) 2008, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-406-214784-2
• “24 Truths of Jazz in Testimony　証言で綴るジャズの24の真実” (P-Rhythm) 2008, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4904231-03-6
• “PLAYBACK TIMES OF MODERN JAZZプレイバック! 10大ニュースで綴るモダンジャズの世紀” (Kasuga Publishing) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-486321-136-0
• “Jazz Live Masterpieces 113 with Tears of Gratitude 感涙のジャズライブ名盤113” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-27078-4
• “The Encyclopedia of Blue Note 1500 series　ブルーノート大事典1500番台編” (Tokyo Kirarasha / Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-90834-2
• "Must Listen! Jazz Masterpieces 101 必聴! ジャズ101” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-27102-6
• [Audiobook CD] “JAZZ MEN, I LOVE THOSE CATS 愛しのジャズメン” (Pan Rolling / Tokyo Kirarasha) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-7759-2838-7
• [Audiobook CD] “JAZZ MEN, I LOVE THOSE CATS 2 愛しのジャズメン2” (Pan Rolling / Tokyo Kirarasha) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-7759-2844-8
• [Audiobook CD] “Jazz Dressing Room Chats - Beloved Jazzmenジャズ楽屋噺” (Pan Rolling / Tokyo Kirarasha) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-7759-2756-4
• “A Blue Note Book - Alfred Lion's Quotations ブルーノート読本〜アルフレッド·ライオン 語録” (Kasuga Shobo) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-86321-179-7
• “Revised Blue Note Collector's Guide　改訂版ブルーノート·コレクターズガイド” (Tokyo Kirarasha / Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-90839-7
• “The Blue Note, the Truth Behind the Record Cover 4000 Seriesブルーノート、ジャケ裏 の真実4000番台編” (Kasuga Publishing) 2009, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-86321-180-3
• “Piano Trio – The Best 100ピアノ·トリオ決定版ベスト100” (Tokyo Kirarasha Co., Ltd.) 2011, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-90906-6
• “A Jazz History with Masterpieces – The Jazz Giants 超名盤ジャズ史 · ジャズジャイアンツ” (Komakusa Publishing) 2015, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-905447-50-4
• “Jazz in Japan through Testimonials · 証言で綴る日本のジャズ" (Komakusa Publishing) 2015, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-905447-71-9
• “Jazzmen, Listen to Jazz　ジャズメン、ジャズを聴く” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2016, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-64266-3
• “Jazz in Japan through Testimonials 2 証言で綴るジャズ2” (Komakusa Publishing) 2016, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-905447-53-5
• “The Truth about Miles Davisマイルス·デイヴィスの真実” (Kodansha + α Bunko) 2016, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-06-281691-5
• “Miles Speaks - Everything that Miles Davis Told マイルス·デイヴィスが語ったすべてのこと” (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) 2016, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-309-27770-7
• “Jazzmen Death Certificateジャズメン死亡診断書” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2017, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-64341-7
• “TBM The Complete Disc Guide, Three Blind Mice – The Legendary Jazz Label Book ” (Komakusa Publishing) 2017, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-905447-79-5
• “Intriguing Jazz Encyclopedia おもしろジャズ事典” (Yamaha Music Media) 2017, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-636-94621-5
• “Jazz Giants Interviews ジャズジャイアンツ·インタヴューズ” (Shogakukan) 2018, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-09-388616-1
• “Study of Historic Jazz Recordings ジャズ超名盤研究” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2018, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-644605-0
• “Bebop Reading Book: History of Jazz with Testimony ビバップ読本 証言で綴るジャズ史” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2018, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-64652-4
• “Study of Historic Jazz Recordings 2 ジャズ超名盤研究2” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2019, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-64732-3
• “A True Story of Blue Note – Revised Edition 改訂版ブルーノートの真実” (Tokyo Kirarasha) 2019, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-903883-46-5
• “Legendary Live in Japan - Jazz History Revealed through Records and Memories伝説のライヴ·イン ·ジャパン記憶と記録でひもとくジャズ史”(Shinko Music Entertainment) 2019, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-64779-8
• "Jazz Masterpieces 1374 by Lebelレーベルで聴くジャズ名盤1374” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2020, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-64957-0
• “Study of Jazz Historic Jazz Recordings 3 ジャズ超名盤研究” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2021, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-65012-5
• “Blue Note Collector’s Guide (Korean Edition)” (Jjokkpress) 2021 Language: Korean ISBN 979-11-89519-16-2 http://jjokkpress.com/product/G0021
• “Encyclopedia of Miles Davis マイルス·デイヴィス大事典” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2023, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-65118-4
• “All Recordings of Jazzmen Who Visited Japan 1931 -1979 · History of the Development of Japanese Jazz with Records来日ジャズメン全レコーディング1931−1979 · レコードでたどる日本ジャズ発展史” (Shinko Music Entertainment) 2023, Language: Japanese ISBN 978-4-401-65335-4

Selected discography (as producer)

Bob Mintzer, "I Remember Jaco"

Bob Mintzer, "Two T's"

Mitchel Forman, "What Else?"

Mitchel Forman, "Now and Then"

Harvie Swartz, "Arrival"

External links

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