Ryo Okumoto
Encyclopedia
Ryo Okumoto is a rock keyboardist
, best known for his work with progressive rock
group Spock's Beard
. He joined the band in 1996 and has been a member ever since. When singer and keyboardist Neal Morse
was in the band, Ryo played Hammond Organ
and Mellotron
on the albums. Now he has taken full keyboard duties, therefore playing synthesiser, especially the Minimoog
.
He has performed and recorded with numerous other artists, including GPS
, and has released many solo albums.
After Neal Morse left, he also played the keyboards for hard rock
/heavy metal
band Eric Burdon & The New Animals in 1998, before Martin Gerschwitz (now Iron Butterfly
) joined them.
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
, best known for his work with progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
group Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard is a progressive rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles by brothers Neal and Alan Morse. Neal played keyboards and was the lead vocalist, as well as being the primary songwriter before leaving the band in 2002 to pursue a solo career. Alan plays electric guitar...
. He joined the band in 1996 and has been a member ever since. When singer and keyboardist Neal Morse
Neal Morse
Neal Morse is an American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee.-Background:...
was in the band, Ryo played Hammond Organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
and Mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
on the albums. Now he has taken full keyboard duties, therefore playing synthesiser, especially the Minimoog
Minimoog
The Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by Bill Hemsath and Robert Moog. It was released in 1970 by R.A. Moog Inc. , and production was stopped in 1981. It was re-designed by Robert Moog in 2002 and released as Minimoog Voyager.The Minimoog was designed in response to the use of...
.
He has performed and recorded with numerous other artists, including GPS
GPS (band)
GPS is a progressive rock group formed in 2006 by John Payne , Guthrie Govan and Jay Schellen...
, and has released many solo albums.
After Neal Morse left, he also played the keyboards for hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Eric Burdon & The New Animals in 1998, before Martin Gerschwitz (now Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly is a US psychedelic rock band best known for the 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida".Their heyday was the late 1960s, but the band has been reincarnated with various members. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the 31st best-selling album in the world, selling more than 25 million copies.-History:The...
) joined them.