The name Katsushika Trio originated from the venue of their first official performance—Katsushika Symphony Hills. This name serves as a coordinate, marking the starting point of these three legendary musicians’ journey together once more.

In the world of jazz, sound and the music that carries human emotion are in a state of constant flux. Much like fashion, one can see a curiosity for culture within music, and catch glimpses of the creator’s character. Tetsuo Sakurai and Akira Jimbo are the kind of duo where you can tell instantly that they are "on the same side."

Akira Jimbo once mentioned in an interview that he hadn't originally planned to pursue music as a lifelong career. It was meeting his rhythmic partner, Tetsuo Sakurai, that led him down this path. Sakurai describes their relationship as “Base to Drum no Kizuna”—the bond between bass and drums. Their 43-year friendship and shared musical life began in a very ordinary way: a rehearsal where Sakurai was called in as a "firefighter" to fill in for the Keio University Big Band. There, he met Jimbo and found the drummer’s sense of rhythm and musicality incredibly intriguing.

Tracing back to 1980, the story began with guitarist Issei Noro and bassist Sakurai, who reached out to Minoru Mukaiya, a music major. Mukaiya heard Noro say he wanted to create music like Chick Corea. Driven by the simple motivation of seeing Noro win a prize (a Yamaha SG2000!) at the EastWest ’76 band competition, Mukaiya became increasingly involved. From there, the silhouette of CASIOPEA began to take a defined shape.

In 1979, they released their timeless self-titled debut, CASIOPEA, with a cover featuring two racing cars in competition. In their album SUPER FLIGHT, the sixth track marked the first time we heard music originating from Sakurai; his gentle bass revealed more dimensions to the CASIOPEA universe. In 1980, Akira Jimbo officially joined, leading to the legendary live album THUNDER LIVE. This work became the vital starting point for the "Golden Era" of the CASIOPEA quartet.

Fast forward to today, and Katsushika Trio has introduced a new work recorded with a string section. Minoru Mukaiya returns to the acoustic piano, resulting in a sound that is simpler and more direct—reminiscent of three gentlemen strolling through the streets of Shibuya, exchanging thoughts as they walk. You can hear Mukaiya’s love for music; the album showcases the many personalities of the piano. Listening to "Early Bird," one feels a sense of peace as Sakurai’s bass blends tenderly with Mukaiya’s touch. Curiously, the groove in Jimbo’s drumming evokes a vibe similar to that of Casette (Zun Long), the drummer for the band Sunset Rollercoaster.

At Billboard Live TAIPEI, you will have the chance to hear how the musical architecture of CASIOPEA was built—this time with less guitar soloing but more intimacy; less showmanship, but more dialogue. These three musicians bring over 40 years of chemistry and emotion to Taipei, sharing it with everyone willing to sit down and listen.

It will be a night worth savoring.