Takeshi Inomata

Takeshi Inomata was the noted jazz drummer who, among other things, helped design the first percussive instruments for Yamaha.  His work with Yamaha took place during the early 1960s when the company began providing drum and percussive instruments and accessories.  It was a contribution Takeshi was always proud to take part in and since then has often endorsed for several Yamaha products.  Although he has played and endorsed for many different products, he stayed loyal to the first snare drum he ever played, inspired by his hero Gene Krupa, the Slingerland snare. His own jazz career took off in the era of the Korean War when Japanese night clubs were filled with US soldiers eager to hear the jazz of home.  He has played with several key musicians during his career including Rufus Reid and JJ Johnson as well as Anita O'Day on her first recordings in Tokyo in 1963. Just a year after his famed album "Alone Together," Takeshi opened his own drum school in 1976, which continues today.