Kei Akagi
Appearance
Kei Akagi | |
---|---|
Born | Japan | March 16, 1953
Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion |
Instrument(s) | Piano |
Website | www |
Kei Akagi (ケイ 赤城/赤城 恵, Akagi Kei, born March 16, 1953)[1] is a Japanese American jazz pianist. In particular, he is known for his work with the Airto Moreira/Flora Purim group and in Miles Davis's band in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
He was born in Japan, but lived in Cleveland, Ohio, for part of his childhood, until he moved back to Japan at the age of 12. He later returned to the United States at 22. He is associated with the Californian jazz scene at present. He is the Chancellor Professor of Music at the University of California, Irvine.
Discography
[edit]As leader/co-leader
[edit]Year recorded | Title | Label | Year released | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | Symphonic Fusion – The Earth | Nippon Columbia | 1983 | Soundtrack |
1991 | Playroom | Moo | 1992 | Some tracks trio, with Bob Harrison and John Patitucci (bass; separately), Tom Brechtlein (drums); most tracks quartet, with Rick Margitza (tenor sax, soprano sax) added |
1991 | Sound Circle | Paddle Wheel | 1992 | As The Asian American Jazz Trio; with Rufus Reid (bass), Akira Tana (drums) |
1994? | Mirror Puzzle | Audioquest | 1994 | Quartet, with Rick Margitza (tenor sax, soprano sax), Charles Fambrough (bass), Willie Jones III (drums)[2] |
1998 | New Smiles and Traveled Miles | Groove Note | 2000 | Trio, with Darek Oleszkiewicz (bass), Joe LaBarbera (drums) |
1999 | Viewpoint | Video Arts | 2000 | Trio |
2001 | Palette | Video Arts | 2001 | Some tracks trio, with Tomokazu Sugimoto (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums); some tracks trio with Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), Hiroshi Murakami (drums); some tracks quartet, with Kousuke Mine (tenor sax, bass clarinet) added[3] |
2002 | Grand New Touch | Video Arts | 2003 | Duo, with Fumio Karashima (piano) |
2003 | A Hint of You | Video Arts | 2003 | Trio, with Tomokazu Sugimoto (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums) |
2003 | Modern Ivory | Video Arts | 2004 | Trio, with Tomokazu Sugimoto (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums) |
2005 | Live – Shapes in Sound | Video Arts | 2006 | Trio, with Tomokazu Sugimoto (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums); in concert |
2007 | Liquid Blue | Time & Style | 2007 | Trio, with Tomokazu Sugimoto (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums) |
2014 | Circlepoint | Time & Style | 2014 | Trio, with Shunya Wakai (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums) |
2016 | Contrast & Form | Time & Style | 2016 | Trio, with Shunya Wakai (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums) |
2017 | Aqua Puzzle | Time & Style | 2018 | Trio, with Shunya Wakai (bass), Tamaya Honda (drums) |
As sideman
[edit]With Miles Davis
- Dingo with Michel Legrand (Warner Bros., 1991) – soundtrack
- Miles in Paris (Warner Bros., 1991) – live recorded in 1989
- Live Around the World (Warner Bros., 1996) – live recorded in 1988–91
With Frank Gambale
- Brave New Guitar (Legato, 1985)
- A Present for the Future (Legato, 1987)
- Live! (Legato, 1989) – live recorded in 1988
- Thunder from Down Under (Victor, 1990) – recorded in 1989
- Note Worker (Victor, 1991)
With Allan Holdsworth
- Frankfurt '86 (Live, 2020)[CD & DVD-Video]
With Al di Meola
- Tirami Su (Manhattan, 1987)
- Live at Montreal International Jazz Festival 88 (Vap, 2002)[DVD-Video] – live recorded in 1988 at Montreal International Jazz Festival
With James Newton
- Suite for Frida Kahlo (AudioQuest Music, 1994)
References
[edit]- ^ Gilbert, Mark (2002). "Akagi, Kei". In Barry Kernfeld (ed.). The new Grove dictionary of jazz, vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 21. ISBN 1561592846.
- ^ Valley-Entertainment.com
- ^ Pronko, Michael (18 July 2001). "Kei Akagi". The Japan Times. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
External links
[edit]
Categories:
- 1953 births
- Living people
- American jazz pianists
- American male jazz pianists
- Japanese jazz pianists
- American musicians of Japanese descent
- Miles Davis
- Japanese emigrants to the United States
- American academics of Japanese descent
- University of California, Irvine faculty
- Musicians from Aomori Prefecture
- International Christian University alumni
- 20th-century American pianists
- African-American pianists
- American jazz pianist stubs