User:Shun Kikuta/sandbox/Shun Kikuta

Biography
Shun Kikuta (born Shunsuke Kikuta, September 8, 1966) is a Japanese blues singer, guitarist, song writer, record producer, guitar instructor and music columnist.

Kikuta was born in Utsunomiya, Japan. At age 10 he began playing the classical-guitar under the tutelage of his father. He formed a musical group at the age of 15 years old, copying popular Japanese covers. He was first influenced by Western music with British and American Rock'n Roll, listening to Led Zeppelin, Toto and Van Halen.

In 1986, at the age 19, Kikuta moved to U.S and enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. While at Berklee, he studied jazz composition, arrangements, and harmonic theory. An epiphany came when a friend introduced him to B.B.King's "Live at the Regal", one of the greatest blues recordings ever, this was destiny calling is name. Kikuta states, " The album hit me, man. It was so great. I just loved it. A whole lot of energy, emotions, feelings, just great,". Kikuta described the impact of his first exposure to blues. " From that point on, I was into blues really seriously," At Berklee, Kikuta jammed with Roy Hargrove (trumpet), Mark Turner (tenor sax), and Mark Whitfield (guitar). Perhaps it was also fate that George Benson, one of world's greatest jazz guitarists whom Kikuta credits as also having a tremendous influence on him, was guest of honor at Berklee's graduation ceremony and presented Kikuta with his diploma, yet another epiphany for him.

A week after graduating from Berklee in 1990, Kikuta moved to Chicago to play the Blues. By day, he turned to the Chicago subway stations where, if lucky, he was able to earn enough money to pay for the transportation cost for the day, and a slice of pizza for his daily sustenance. By night, Kikuta would hang around blues clubs waiting to pounce on an opportunity to join a jam session. He landed his first blues gig playing weekly at Rosa's Lounge with the Louis Myers Band.

Within next few years, Kikuta found work with the blues legends such as J.W.Williams, Pee Wee Madison, Johnny Little John, Lurrie Bell, Fred Johnson, Tommy MacCracken, Son Seals and Big Time Sarah. However, in his quest to become one of the premier, un-heralded guitarists in the blues music industry, Kikuta journeyed to music experiences beyond Chicago.

In 1992, Kikuta toured in Italy with the Chicago Blues Night Band, which featured Debra Farr, Kathy Davis and Tommy McCracken. Kikuta joined The US and Canada tour with the late Junior Well's band in '95, Charlie Musselwhite's Australia and New Zealand tour in '96, Otis Clay's Japan tour in '99, harmonica legend, James Cotton's Japan and Canada Tour in 2006. Kikuta also toured in Taiwan to perform at " Taiwan Blues Bash 2,3 and 4" from 2005 to 2007. He was featured as a headliner with Taiwan's own blues band, BoPoMoFo. In '98, '99, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2012 Kikuta performed at the biggest free blues Festival in the world, the Chicago Blues festival with Chico Banks, Lee Oscar, Phil Guy, Nellie"Tiger"Travis, Fred Johnson, J.W Williams, Koko Taylor, Chick Rodgers and Jackie Scott.

In 2000, Kikuta became a guitarist for Koko Taylor, "The Queen of Blues". Kikuta worked with Taylor nearly a decade and played on Taylor's Grammy Awards nominated "Old School (Alligator Records, 2007)". Kikuta remained working with Taylor until her passing and he became a Taylor's last guitarist.

Kikuta appeared on PBS TV program "An evening with B.B.King"(2003) as a band leader and performed with King. This event was filmed at Art Institute in Chicago and Kikuta recalled this was one of the best moments of his career.

In 2008, Kikuta appeared on Kennedy Center Honors to honor Morgan Freeman performing with Koko Taylor, Pinetop Perkins, Honeyboy Edwards and Willie "Big Eye" Smith. Clint Eastwood who was a MC of the night introduced Kikuta as "Shogun of Blues" to the audiences before the performance.

Kikuta also appeared on "Father and Sons", a part of the seven series of "The Blues (film series)"(2003) directed by Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood and 5 other directors.

Kikuta was on the cover and featured musician of BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE Dec 29th 2011 issue.

In 2016, Kikuta performed as one of the main artists on Tribute to Otis Rush, the finale set of Chicago Blues Festival. He performed with Jimmy Johnson, Mike Wheeler, Marty Sammon, Gene Barge and Willie Henderson on this set.

Over the years Kikuta has produced and collaborated on many recordings. Japanese King Records commissioned him to produce a blues CD by the Frank Collier Band's "Funky Blues" in 1994. Then he produced "Tribute to Magic Sam" (later released by Evidence Music in the USA) and his leading albums "They call me Shun" (later released as "Me and my Guitar" by Bluesox Label in the USA)," and "Chicago Midnight" in 1995 and 96. In 1996, when Kikuta attended "The Park Tower Blues Festival '96" in Tokyo with J.W.Williams band, the two shows at Park Tower were recorded live and released as "Live! The 3rd Park Tower Blues Festival '96" Shun Kikuta & J.W. Williams (later was released as "Live and Kickin'" by Bluesox Label in the USA). In 2000 Kikuta recorded an album with Nellie"Tiger"Travis, "Heart And Soul" (by M&I Company). In 2007 Kikuta released "Rising Shun" featured Koko Taylor, Billy Branch, Gerald McLendon, J.W.Williams and Jamsbee. In 2013 Kikuta's best album was released by King Records "Best of Shun's Blues". In a same year Kikuta formed the group called Legend Of Rockers with Japanese rock legends such as Kyoji Yamamoto, Hideto Kano and released an album "Power In My Arms" by King Records. In 2018, Kikuta found his own label, Rising Shun Records and released "BLUES COMPANY" with his own group, Shun Kikuta & BLUES COMPANY.

In 2001 Rittor Music, Inc. produced an instructional DVD, "Chicago Blues Guitar" featuring Kikuta. In the DVD, Kikuta teaches the guitar styles and techniques needed to play Chicago blues, such as rhythm patterns for 12-bar blues, basic solo techniques, 53 essential blues guitar licks, phrasing ideas and much more. This DVD was released by Hal Leonard in U.S a following year. The success of "Chicago Blues Guitar" instructional video, Rittor Music, Inc. has commissioned Kikuta to produce two more instructional DVDs and four books.

Kikuta has performed and recorded with such blues, soul, R&B and jazz legends as B.B.King, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Johnny and Shemekia Copeland, Bo Didley, Robert Lockwood Jr, Hubert Sumlin, James Cotton,Tyrone Davis, Willie Clayton, Brian McKnight, Irma Thomas, Denise LaSalle, Marva Wright, Lonnie Brooks, Eddy Clearwater, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Marcia Ball, Kenny Neal, Billy Branch, Dan Aykroyd (Blues Brothers) and Susan Tedeschi.

He also has performed on major festivals and venues in the world such as Chicago Blues Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Notodden Blues Festival (Norway), Lucern Blues Festival (Swiss), Tremblant International Blues Festival (Canada), Legendary Blues Cruise (Mexico and Caribbean), Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival (Jamaica), Japan Blues Festival, CCP International Jazz Festival (Philippines), Jakarta Blues Festival (Indonesia), Taiwan Blues Bash, Beijing Blues Festival (China) etc...

Leader albums

 * They call me Shun (King Records,1995)
 * Chicago Midnight (King Records,1996)
 * Me and my guitar (Bluesox,1999)
 * Live and kickin'(Bluesox,1999)
 * Rising Shun (Yotsuba Records, 2007)
 * Best of Shun's Blues (King Records, 2013)
 * Rising Shun Plus (Yotsuba Records, 2018)

Collaborations

 * Funky Blues/Frank Collier Band featuring Junior Wells and Shun Kikuta (King Records,1994)
 * Tribute to Magic Sam/Magic Slim & Teardrops, Eddie Shaw & Wolf Gangs, J.W.Williams & Chi-Town Hustlers, Billy Branch and Mighty Joe Young (King Records,1994, Evidence Music 1997)
 * Live! The 3rd Park Tower Blues Festival/Shun Kikuta & JWWilliams (King Records,1997)
 * Heart and Soul/Shun Kikuta & Nellie"Tiger"Travis (M&I Company,2000)
 * GYOZA BLUES / Jamsbee with Shun Kikuta(Yotsuba Records, 2004)
 * THE MUSICMANSHIP / Jamsbee with Shun Kikuta (Yotsuba Records, 2005)
 * Power In My Arms / Shun Kikuta & Legend Of Rockers (King Records, 2013)
 * BLUES COMPANY / Shun Kikuta & BLUES COMPANY (Rising Shun Records, 2018)

Appears on

 * CHICAGO BLUES NIGHT / Tommy McCracken and The Force Of Habit Blues Band, Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis, Chicago Beau and Willie Kent (GBW, 1991)
 * JUST A LITTLE MORE LOVE IS ALL WE NEED / Queen Ayacodobae (1996)
 * EXPLOSION / Kid Dynamite (1999)
 * I GOT IT LIKE THAT / Nellie"Tiger"Travis (2001)
 * Patrick Doody / Patrick Doody Group (2001)
 * RESPECT THE STONES（ジェネオン・エンタテインメント, 2006）
 * Old School / Koko Taylor (Alligator, 2007)
 * Essencially Yours / Chick Rodgers (Spellbound, 2007)
 * Bad Girl / Demetria Taylor (Delmark, 2011)
 * 2013 / 荒山亮 (Taiwan, 2013)
 * 一個人，唱情歌 / 李婭莎 (Taiwan, 2013)
 * Bad Taboo / Carolyn Fe Blues Collective (2014)
 * 美好時刻 / 以莉·高露 (Taiwan, 2015)
 * 和楽 / 古田佳子 (Japan, 2015)
 * BEAT CLUB ALL STARS 4 (Yotsuba Records, 2015)

Instructional DVD and books

 * Chicago Blues Guitar (DVD, Hal Leonard, 2001)
 * Chicago Blues (DVD, Rittor Music, 1999)
 * R&B Guitar Techniques (DVD, Rittor Music, 2004)
 * Blues Guitar Techniques (DVD, Rittor Music, 2005)
 * Blues Guitar Jam Session (Book, Rittor Music, 2005)
 * Blues Guitar Jam Session 2 (Book, Rittor Music, 2006)
 * Call & Response (DVD, ALFANOTE, 2014)
 * World Blues Sites - 世界のブルース横丁 (Book, Rittor Music, 2017)
 * How to play the lively blues - 生きたブルースを身につける方法 (Book, Rittor Music, 2017)