Itaru Oki

Itaru Oki (1941-2020) was a Japanese trumpeter and flugelhorn player, born in Kobe, who lived in France from 1974. He played in the experimental group ESSG in Tokyo, then worked for decades between the European improvising scene and Japan. He also built unusual trumpets, including one with two bells. Oki grew up in a musical family (his mother played koto, his father shakuhachi) and later moved to Tokyo, where he joined ESSG with Masahiko Satō and Masahiko Togashi. The group also toured Europe.