Kei Akagi
Kei Akagi ( born March 16, 1953 in Sendai ) is a native of Japan and living in the United States jazz musician ( piano and keyboards), and high school teachers.
Biography
Born in Japan, Kei Akagi spent his childhood in Cleveland, Ohio, and there had music lessons. His family then returned to his youth back to Japan and he studied philosophy and music in Tokyo. After completing his studies, he moved 22 years back in the United States, initially as the philosophy student at the University of California at Santa Barbara. However, Akagi rejected with 25 years of an academic career and began working as a professional musician. As a sideman, he was known in particular for his work with the Airto Moreira band and Flora Purim 1979 to 1985; He also played in the 1970s, with Blue Mitchell, Art Pepper and Eddie Harris. In the 1980s, with Joe Farrell, Allan Holdsworth, Jean -Luc Ponty, James Newton and Al Di Meola. Akagi played 1989-91 in the Miles Davis band; 1991 to 2000 he worked with Stanley Turrentine, 1994/95 with Sadao Watanabe.
Kei Akagi is active in the California jazz scene and is Chancellor Professor of Music at the University of California at Irvine (UCI ).
Disco Graphical Notes
- Play Room (1991 )
- Mirror Puzzle ( 1994)
- New Smiles & Travelled. (2000)
Literature / Sources
- Bielefeld catalog 1988 & 2002
- Richard Cook & Brian Morton: The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, 8th Edition, London, Penguin, 2006 ISBN 0-14-102327-9