Welcome! It's nice to have you here at

JUMBO OKUTANI's web site.

Playing Mandolin  Guitar and  Fiddle
Country and Bluegrass here in Japan

Almost 25 years of good times with friends, 
since I formed my first 
Bluegrass band called "LOST CITY MAD DOGS".



1978


Somebody might remember the name... "LOST CITY"
 a bar with Live music,
Located in Motomachi area downtown Kobe. 


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Kenji Nozaki ...founder and owner of LOST CITY...
learned play Banjo by himself. 
In early 1960's, he traveld to the U.S.,
He got musically-successful days in Nashville,
after spending hard-times in San-FranCisco. 
Started running "LOST CITY"
...BLuegrass Capital this side of the Pacific...
when he came back to Kobe,
I belive he is the father of Japanese Bluegrass music.

Followers like "Bluegrass45", "LOST CITY CATS", 
and many more people( myself,too) 
Have learned to play music
until Kenji gave up running the place in1985.


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Formed "LOST CITY MAD DOGS" in1976 with friends,
performed 3~5nights a week at Lost City, 
built our music skills up 
with help and support from Kenji and other music buddies.


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The DOGS have toured the U.S. tree times (1978,1981,1983). 
Load instruments in the back of the Shevvy-Van,
performed at numbers of Bluegrass festivals,concerts,night clubs 
in most of the southern-states.


　　


Slim Richey of the Rige-Runner-Records and his friends 
supported and organized the DOGS tours.
On tour 1981,DOGS recorded two albums with Bluegrass big names 
like Roland White,Alan Munde,Uncle Josh Graves,Joe Stuart,
Brain Sprouse,Roy Husky jr., and so on.
Recording session were held in Dallas,Tx. and Nashville,Tnn. 
under produce of Slim Richey .


       


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Jan Willis(Galambos) was working for Richey-Records then, 
a very fine road-manager that we could work with
and ofcourse she is a good friend.
Not only organizing gigs, she made the tour with 
full of wonderful experiences. 
Find and make up chances to put us on the big stages like 
Grand Ole Opry,in1983 tour.
(What a great job! Slim and Jan made our dream came true!)





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..How I thank to Slim,Jan,Powells,and friends in the U.S., 
especially people in Dallas- Ft.Worth area...
Warm heart and hospitality of the people in U.S.A. 


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...It is impossible to make a living playing 
this type of music in Japan .....,
when I finish our tour 1983, 
got day-job ( workin' for an advertising agency ) and got married..
..A home with wife and two children...
and playing music with bands in Kobe-Osaka area..


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Recently I 'm with few different type of bands; 


				
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Thanks for coming

and wish that ya'll come back

visit my web-site every once in the while.