Ryo Fukui – born on June 1, 1948, in Biratori, Japan – was a jazz pianist and owner of the jazz club Slowboat, located in Sapporo, Japan. His interest in playing music came at a later age when he began playing accordion at the age of 18. In 1970, he taught himself to play piano and moved to Tokyo to pursue a career in music. He would get together with jazz saxophonist Hidehiko Matsumoto, who offered Ryo Fukui advice and encouragement. He released his debut album Scenery in 1976, followed by Mellow Dream a year later. Anxious to improve his artistry, Ryo Fukui spent many years practicing and performing live with his trio in Japan and overseas. In 1995, eighteen years after the release of his sophomore album, he issued his third album, My Favorite Tune. The album was followed in 1999 by Ryo Fukui in New York, which featured Leroy Williams (drums) and Lisle Arthur Atkinson (bass). In 2015, he released the album A Letter from Slowboat, which was recorded at the jazz club he owned with his wife. Ryo Fukui died on March 15, 2016, at the age of 67.