Remembering Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Beloved Jazz Bassist and Kenny Barron Trio Mainstay
We have more sad news to share today as jazz bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa has passed away after a brief illness. He was 67 years old.
The news was shared on his Facebook page in a statement from manager Karen Kennedy.
“Our brother, our friend, brought us joy, love, many smiles and laughter,” she wrote. “First with his smooth and elegant entry into any room, followed by the luscious and provocative stories he shared with every bass note.
Unassuming, gentle, and always expressing love and appreciation for the people and nature close to him, there was never a doubt of how happy Kiyoshi was in this world and how much he impacted jazz.”
Kitagawa was born in Osaka in 1958. After starting on bass guitar, he switched to double bass while a student at Kwansei Gakuin University and began playing with artists such as Sadayasu Fuji and Takashi Furuya. He immigrated to the United States in 1988 and became a fixture in New York City. He worked with Andy Bey, Jon Faddis, Kenny Garrett, Jimmy Heath, and many more. However, he is probably best known for his work with piano great Kenny Barron.
“Kenny Barron was introduced to him by Ben Riley over 30 years ago, and Kiyoshi has been a member of his trio for most of that time along with Johnathan Blake. Family does not describe their bond since it is greater than that,” Kennedy explains.
Watch Kitagawa in action with Barron and drummer Willie Jones III during the Jazz San Javier Festival in 2022:
Kitagawa also ran his own trio. He released ten solo albums as a leader, the latest being 2020’s Spring Night.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Kiyoshi Kitagawa.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
