Stomu Yamashta

Stomu Yamashta (born Yamashita Tsutomu, Japanese: 山下勉, 15 March 1947, Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese percussionist, keyboardist and composer. He is sometimes credited as Stomu Yamash'ta. His father is the acclaimed artist Kiyoshi Yamashita.

Stomu Yamashta studied music at Kyoto University, Juilliard School of Music, and Berklee College of Music, and has also lectured in music. In 1972, he brought the Red Buddha Theatre company from Japan to Europe, acting as their director, producer and composer, writing and performing in the multi-media event "The Man From The East", with Morris Pert's Come To The Edge providing the musical backing. He was the leader of the supergroup Go with Steve Winwood, Al Di Meola, Klaus Schulze, and Michael Shrieve. The touring version of the band saw Stevie Winwood replaced by Peter Robinson and Klause Schulze by Patrick Gleeson. He has composed for the British Royal Ballet, and wrote the soundtrack to the David Bowie film The Man Who Fell to Earth and for Ken Russell's The Devils. His Space Theme was used by the BBC on The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He has performed and collaborated with numerous artists from around the world, and excerpts of a Stomu Yamashta performance appear in the last episode of Tony Palmer's All You Need is Love: The Story of Popular Music.

Discography

• El Cimarrón (1970)
• Red Buddha (1971)
• Der langwierige Weg in die Wohnung der Natascha Ungeheuer (1971)
• Sunrise From West Sea (1971, Live)
• Henze/Takemitsu/Maxwell Davies (1972), comprising:
  • Prison Song (Henze)
  • Seasons (Takemitsu)
  • Turris Campanarum Sonatinum (Maxwell Davies)
• Images original soundtrack (Robert Altman, 1972), music composed by John Williams; percussion solos by Stomu Yamashta
• Contemporary Works (1972)
• Floating Music (1972)
• Stomu Yamashta's Red Buddha Theatre: The Soundtrack from "The Man from the East" (1973, Live)
• Freedom Is Frightening (1974)
• Takemitsu Ishi (1973)
• One by One (1974, Soundtrack)
• Raindog (1975)
• Go (1976)
• Go Live From Paris (1976)
• Go Too (1977)
• Hito (1980)
• Iroha-ten/chi(1981)
• Iroha-sui (1982)
• Tempest (1982, Soundtrack)
• Budo: The Art of Killing (1982, Soundtrack)
• Iroha-ka (1983)
• Sea and Sky (1983)
• Kukai (1984)
• Solar Dream, Vol. 2: Fantasy of Sanukit (1990)
• Solar Dream, Vol. 1: The Eternal Present (1993)
• Solar Dream, Vol. 3: Peace and Love (1997)
• A Desire of Beauty & Wonder Stone Part 1(1999)
• Listen to the Future, Volume 1 (2001)
• Tofu (2002)

External links

• Stomu Yamash'ta biography and interview in English
• Stomu Yamashta fan page
• Stumu Yamash'ta and Go