Born in Niigata, Japan on March 23, 1948, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto is a jazz pianist and composer. He took some piano lessons when he was young, but he is largely self-taught. Attending Nihon University, he began his professional career in 1967 accompanying Japanese pop singer Mickey Curtis. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto released Midnight Sugar, his debut album as a leader, in 1974. During the second half of the 1970s, he was extremely prolific and released a series of albums including Blues for Tea (1974), Life featuring bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins (1976), Bass Club featuring bassist Red Mitchell (1979), and Another Holiday (1985). He also played many major international jazz festivals and temporarily relocated to New York and performed with jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Elvin Jones, and Sonny Stitt. His recording career slowed down in the 1980s although he has continued to release material with his trio including What a Wonderful World (2013).
