TAKEZO

Get ready for an intimate evening of soulful blues, rhythm and blues, roots music, and deep-pocket groove as Yoshinobu Takeda, better known as TAKEZO, comes to the Empress Marquee Club.

Born in Kagawa, Japan, and raised in Kyoto, Takezo began singing in bands and writing music at just 12 years old. Early influences included American movie soundtracks, The Beatles, and the unmistakable soul of Otis Redding. In 1985, his love of American roots music brought him to San Francisco, where he built a career as a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and true student of the blues.

Over the years, Takezo has performed with major names including Elvin Bishop, Angela Strehli, Joe Louis Walker, and Norton Buffalo. Elvin Bishop praised Takezo’s groove and feel, while Angela Strehli famously described him as “Bobby Blue Bland meets Buddy Guy.”

Expect an evening shaped by blues, soul, R&B, gospel feeling, roots guitar, heartfelt vocals, and original music, including material connected to his album …a boy from Lion Street.

The Empress Marquee Club is the perfect setting for this performance: intimate, stylish, and close to the artist. Come early, enjoy dinner and drinks, settle into the room, and experience a musician whose remarkable journey has taken him from Kyoto to San Francisco through a lifelong devotion to American blues and soul.

Soulful. Authentic. Straight from the heart.