, is a Japanese

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

drummer who combines electronic drum technology and acoustic drums. Aside from his solo work, he was the drummer for the Japanese jazz fusion band

Casiopea , now known in its fourth iteration as Casiopea-P4, is a Japanese jazz fusion band formed in 1976 by guitarist Issei Noro, bassist Tetsuo Sakurai, drummer Tohru "Rika" Suzuki, and keyboardist Hidehiko Koike. In 1977, keyboardist Minoru Mukaiya ...

and had participated in side projects with

Keiko Matsui , is a Japanese keyboardist and composer, specializing in smooth jazz and New-age music. Biography Keiko Matsui was born in Tokyo, Japan. Her mother, Emiko, took her to her first piano lesson in the June following her fifth birthday. Japanese t ...

, Shambara, and

Brian Bromberg Brian Bromberg (born December 5, 1960) is an American jazz bassist and record producer who performs on both electric and acoustic instruments. Biography Bromberg was born on December 5, 1960, in Tucson, Arizona. His father and brother, David, ...

Background

Akira Jimbo began drumming at the age of 18 when he joined the

Keio University , mottoeng = The pen is mightier than the sword , type = Private research coeducational higher education institution , established = 1858 , founder = Yukichi Fukuzawa , endowmen ...

Light Music Society Big Band. He became a member of

in 1980. During his solo career, he formed

Jimsaku is a Japanese drum and bass duo formed by Akira Jimbo and Tetsuo Sakurai in 1990, after they left the jazz/fusion band Casiopea. They released 10 albums and one "Best of" collection, and disbanded in 1998. In 2020, they regrouped for their 30t ...

-duo with Casiopea's bassist

Tetsuo Sakurai is a Japanese bassist. To date, he has released a total of 37 albums as a member of Casiopea and Jimsaku and solo artist, and has also made 3 bass instructional videos. History Tetsuo Sakurai started playing bass when he was 13 years old. In ...

in 1989. He has also worked with Hiroyuki Noritake from

T-Square A T-square is a technical drawing instrument used by draftsmen primarily as a guide for drawing horizontal lines on a drafting table. The instrument is named after its resemblance to the letter T, with a long shaft called the "blade" and a sho ...

in the drum-duo Synchronized DNA. Jimbo has a drumming style which is best demonstrated in his drum videos and at his drum clinics. By using the DTX drum triggering system, he is able to play a full band sound without a backing track. Jimbo has assisted in the design of K Custom Hybrid Series of cymbals by Zildjian. His drum hero is

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction into the ''Modern D ...

. In 1999, he won second place in the British drum magazine ''RHYTHM'' for most popular drummer. In June 2000, he became the first Asian drummer to be featured on the cover of ''

Modern Drummer ''Modern Drummer'' is a monthly publication targeting the interests of drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public. ''Mo ...

'' magazine. He appeared in the Modern Drummers Festival in 2000.

Drum setup

One unique aspect of Jimbo's drumming is the setup of his drums. Using acoustic drums together with Yamaha electronic drum triggers, Jimbo is able to create a live performance with an array of different sounds. Apart from endorsing Yamaha drums and Zildjian cymbals, he also endorses Vic Firth drumsticks.

MIDI Drum Trigger System

He claims every sound is triggered as a live performance by himself, which is true in the past as the limitation of the trigger system during that time. As his career progress, in fact, now he did use many sequencing programs during some portions such as in intense drum solo part or some difficult arrangements.

Main Drum Kit Setup

Acoustic Drums * Yamaha WSD13AJ (13"×7") Beech Custom Akira Jimbo Signature Snare Drum * Yamaha YD9000AJ (8",10",12",14",16",22") Recording Custom Akira Jimbo debut 30th Anniversary Kit Cymbals * Zildjian K Custom Hybrid Series ** 13.25" Hi-Hat ** 17" Crash ** 19" Trash Smash ** 19" China ** 21" Ride ** 9" Splash ** 13" Trash Splash/15" Trash Crash (stack) Electronic Drum Trigger * Yamaha DTX900

Past Equipments

Drum Sets *1980 – YD9000R *1990 –

Yamaha Rock Tour Custom The Yamaha Rock Tour Custom was a professional line of drums first manufactured by Yamaha Drums in 1990. They were built at their factories in Japan and England. The range was fairly short lived with production stopping in 1994. They should n ...

*1992 – Maple Custom *1995 –

*1997 – Beech Custom *2001 – Beech Custom Absolute *2004 – Oak Custom Absolute *2005 – Oak Custom Akira Jimbo 25th anniversary *2010 – YD9000AJ Akira Jimbo 30th anniversary Signature Snare Drums *1992 – MSD13AJ Maple 7ply Power Hoop (Limited) *1997 – WSD13AJ Beech 8ply Wood Hoop *2004 – NSD13AJ Oak 6ply Wood Hoop (Limited) *2012 – BSD1450AJ Old Birch 6ply Steel Hoop (Limited)

Discography

Studio Albums - Solo

Covers Albums

Collaborations

Compilations

Unit albums

Drums Lesson Series

References

External links

Official site in Japanese

Akira Jimbo Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2008) {{DEFAULTSORT:Jimbo, Akira 1959 births Living people Japanese drummers Japanese jazz musicians Optimism Records artists Casiopea members