Yamagishi was born in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. He has been active in the Japanese blues and jazz scene since the early 1970s. In 1972, he formed the West Road Blues Band in Kyoto along with vocalist Takashi "Hotoke" Nagai, guitarist Shinji Shiotsugu, bassist Tadashi Kobori, and drummer Teruo Matsumoto. The band soon became one of the main acts in then thriving blues scene in the Kansai region.
In 1975, Yamagishi went on to join a soul band named So Bad Revue, and in 1979, he released the first album under his name titled Really?!.[1]
During the 1980s, he played with bands Myx and Chickenshack (a Japanese band different from the British Chicken Shack) and in the 1990s, he formed the Band of Pleasure with guitarist David T. Walker and drummer James Gadson and released three albums before they disbanded.
In 1995, Yamagishi left his well-established career behind in Japan to live in New Orleans where he still lives today.[3] Since he found his home in the Crescent City, he has played with musicians including Earl King, Henry Butler, Davell Crawford, Marva Wright, George Porter Jr. among many others aside from the two groups he has been a member of.
In 2007, he reunited with West Road Blues Band guitarist Shinji Shiotsugu to record Together Again - Blues in New Orleans. It was an all blues album recorded in New Orleans, with support from the local musicians including John Gros and Marva Wright.
Yamagishi appeared as himself in two episodes of the HBO series Treme.[4] In the episode titled "Santa Claus, Do You Ever Get The Blues" (season 2, episode 4, 2011) he auditioned for the band The Soul Apostles, and after playing the songs "Fire on The Bayou" and "Love and Happiness" he was successfully employed. He also appeared in the episode titled "Tipitina" (season 3, episode 10, 2012).
In February, 2018, Funk on Da Table, Yamagishi's new band consisting of Japanese and American musicians made a tour debut. They released their first CD Live at Tipitina's the following year. Other members of the group were Kenken (bass), John "Papa" Gros (keyboards) and Nikki Glaspie (drums).[5]
