kei akagi english

Biography of Kei Akagi

Pianist and composer Kei Akagi - born March 16, 1953 in Sendai, Japan - spent his childhood years in Cleveland, Ohio, where he trained at the Cleveland Music School Settlement, studying piano, theory, and music history. Returning to Japan in his early teens, he eventually studied philosophy and music composition at International Christian University in Tokyo. Upon graduation he was accepted as a graduate student in the Doctorate Program in Philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While pursuing his studies there, he also found time to compose and orchestrate music for the University jazz band, as well as performing locally in various bands. He turned to music as a full-time professional at the age of twenty-five.

Kei Akagi has been a mainstay of the international jazz world for over two decades. Perhaps best known for his work as a member of the Miles Davis band in the late 1980's, his career also includes extended associations with major figures such as Stanley Turrentine, James Newton, Joe Farrell, Al DiMeola, and Airto Moreira. In addition, he has performed or recorded with Art Pepper, Blue Mitchell, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Charnett Moffett, Tom Harrell, Bobby Shew, Eddie Harris, Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Robin Eubanks, Jean-Luc Ponty, Jeff Watts, Allan Holdsworth, and others.

Akagi has recorded 13 CD's as a solo artist and leader. As a sideman and accompanist, he has appeared on over 60 CD's worldwide, including Miles Davis's last recorded works. He has also written numerous original works for his own and others' recordings, with over 40 compositions currently in publication.

He currently resides in California, where in addition to his professional activities, he is also a Professor of Music at the University of California, Irvine, teaching jazz theory, jazz history, and performance. He has recently completed a text on jazz theory and composition, which is being used by students at UCI as part of the Jazz Studies Program. He is also the recipient of the distinguished title of UCI Chancellor's Professor.

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Symphonic Fusion "THE EARTH"	Playroom	Sound Circle	Mirrow Puzzle	New Smiles And Traveled Miles	New Smiles And Traveled Miles .（US盤）


Grand New Touch	Viewpoint	Palette	A Hint Of You	Modern Ivory	Live Shapes In Time


『Liquid Blue』

No	Leader	Title	Issue	Recording	Lebel
1	Kei Akagi	Symphonic Fusion "THE EARTH"	1983	1983	Nippon Columbia
2	Kei Akagi	Playroom	1992	Aug 1991-Sep 1991	Rhino
3	The Asian American Jazz Trio	Sound Circle	1992	Dec 16&17, 1991	Paddle Wheel
4	Kei Akagi	Mirrow Puzzle	1995	May 7&8, 1994	Audioquest
5	Kei Akagi	New Smiles And Traveled Miles	2000	Feb 14&15, 1998	Groove Note
6	Kei Akagi	Viewpoint	2000	Dec 19,20&21, 1999	Videoarts Music
7	Kei Akagi	Palette	2001	Mar 2001	Videoarts Music
8	Kei Akagi	A Hint Of You	2003	Apr 7&8, 2003	Videoarts Music
9	Kei Akagi	Modern Ivory	2004	Apr 7&8, 2003	Videoarts Music
10	Kei Akagi	Live - Shapes In Time	2006	Feb 31&Sep 1, 2005	Videoarts Music
11	Kei Akagi	Liquid Blue	2007	Aug 15,16,17,18 2007	Videoarts Music
12	Brian Bromberg	New Day	1986	Nov 1985-Jun 1986	Black Hawk
13	Brian Bromberg	BASSically Speaking	1992	Nov 1985-Jun 1986	Nova
14	Bunny Brunel	Ivanhoe	1983	.	Inner City
15	Bunny Brunel	Momentum	1996	.	Musidisc
16	Miles Davis	Highlights From The Complete Miles Davis At Montreux	2001	.	Warner Music
17	Miles Davis	The Complete Miles Davis at Montreux 1973-1991	2002	.	Warner Music
18	Miles Davis	Miles In Paris	1990	Dec 3, 1989 ※VHS/LD/DVD	Warner Reprise Video
19	Kaoru Kohiruimaki	Distance	1990	.	TDK Core
20	Miles Davis with Michel LeGrand	Dingo	1991	May 1990	Warner Bros.
21	Miles Davis	Doo-Bop	1992	Jan 19, 1991-Feb 1991	Warner Bros.
22	Miles Davis	Live Around The World	1996	1989-Sep 1991	Warner Bros.
23	Al Di meola	Tirami Su	1988	Apr 1987	EMI
24	Al Di meola	Live at Montreal Jazz Festival '88	1997	Feb 2, 1998 ※VHS/LD/DVD	.
25	Bruce Fowler	Entropy	1995	1993	Fossil
26	Frank Gambale	Brave New Guitar	1986	Aug 21, 1995	Legato
27	Frank Gambale	A Present For the Future	1987	Mar 11, 1987-Jul 30	Legato
28	Frank Gambale	LIVE !	1989	Aug 21, 1988	Legato
29	Frank Gambale	Thinking Out Loud	1995	May 1995	JVC
30	Frank Gambale	Note Worker	1991	.	JVC
31	Three Generations	The Kennedy Center Concert Vol.1	1997	May 30, 1997	Paddle Wheel
32	Three Generations	The Kennedy Center Concert Vol.2	1997	May 30, 1997	Paddle Wheel
33	Dizzy Gillespie	Celevration!	1989	Jun 6, 1987※VHS/LD	Pioneer
34	Masao Honma	Cross-Mode　 Masao Honma anthology Ⅱ	1999	Feb 26, 1996	Fontec
35	Masao Honma	風糸相響　 Masao Honma anthology Ⅲ	2003	Sep 13, 2002	ALM Records
36	ICU Modern Music Society	Locus	2003	2003	LMP
37	Jacintha	Here's To Ben	1999	1998	Groove Note
38	Jacintha	Autumn Leaves the songs of Johnny Mercer	2000	Oct 3, 1999-Oct 4, 1999	Groove Note
39	Fumio Karashima & Kei Akagi	Grand New Touch	2003	Nov 23, 2002	Videoarts Music
40	Gary LeFebvre	Quartet	1981	.	Discovery
41	Gary LeFebvre	Some Other Time	2000	.	Websters Last Word
42	Tony Lujan	Zulu	1992	Jan 3, 1992,Jan 4, 1992	Capri, Ltd.
43	Tony Lujan	You Don't Know What Love Is	2001	Jan 3, 1992-May 12, 1999	Bella
44	Andrea Marcelli	Oneness	1995	.	Lipstick
45	Eduardo Marquez Del Signore	Captivated	2001	.	Raw Dog
46	Christopher Mason	Something Beautiful	1992	Nov 7, 1988	Optimism
47	Flora Purim & Airto Moreira	Humble People	1985	.	Concord
48	Airto Moreira, Flora Purim	Latin Jazz All-Stars	1988	Dec 1985 ※VHS	Hal Leonard
49	Airto Moreira	Latino / Aqui se Puede	1986	.	Muntuno
50	Flora Purim & Airto Moreira	The Magicians	1986	Mar 1986-Apr 1986	Concord
51	Airto Moreira	Samba De Flora	1989	.	Montuno
52	Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Joe Farrell	Three-Way Mirror	1985	May 5, 1985	Reference
53	James Newton	Suite For Frida Kahio	1994	Aug 21, 1994,Aug 22, 1994	Audio Quest
54	Lee Oskar	Those Sunny Days	1996	Mar 1989	Dan FLEX
55	Lee Oskar	So Much in Love	1997	.	Zebra
56	Loren Pickford	Dancing in the Spirit	1990	Mar 29, 1990,Mar 30, 1990	Cexton
57	Flora Purim	The Midnight Sun	1988	.	Venture
58	Jennifer Robin	Fish up a Tree	1991	.	Portazul
59	Jennifer Robin	Eye of the Storm	1996	.	SWEECA
60	Roora	All System Go	1996	.	Samsung Music
61	Joey Sellers	Something for Nothing	1989	Feb 23, 1989	Nine Winds
62	Joey Sellers	Pastels, Ashes	1992	Oct 8, 1991	Nine Winds
63	Bobby Shew	Playing With Fire	1986	.	MAMA Foundation
64	Stanley Turrentine	Live! at Blues Alley	1991	.	Blues Alley
65	Stanley Turrentine	Do You Have Any Sugar?	1999	Feb 8, 1999-Feb 12, 1999	Concord Jazz
66	Kazumi Watanabe	Mobo	1983	Aug 14, 1983-Sep 9, 1983	DOMO
67	Rick Zunigar	New Frontier	1989	.	Headfirst
68	Kazuma Ito	Dear Mr.West Coast	1986	Aug 8・9　1986.L.A.	Heart Note
69	Hanno Rinne	Live Takes	1993	1978～1990	WORLD WIDE RECORDS