Japanese jazz trumpeter Toshinori Kondo, known for a series of improvised performances at scenic spots around the world, died Saturday in Kawasaki near Tokyo, his family said. He was 71.While the cause of his death was not disclosed, his sons said in a message posted on Kondo's official website that he "passed away peacefully."A native of the western Japan prefecture of Ehime and a graduate of Kyoto University, Kondo began his musical career in the 1970s.His first commercial success came when he formed the band Toshinori Kondo IMA in 1984. He later disbanded the band and moved to Amsterdam …READ FULL ARTICLE
