Aki Takase facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aki Takase
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Aki Takase in June 2008
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 26, 1948 Osaka, Japan |
| Origin | Tokyo, Japan |
| Genres | Jazz, Avant-garde jazz, Free jazz, Free improvisation |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Associated acts | Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra |
Aki Takase (高瀬 アキ) (born January 26, 1948) is a talented Japanese jazz pianist and composer. She is known for her unique and adventurous style. Aki Takase blends different types of jazz and modern music. She has performed all over the world and worked with many famous musicians.
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Aki Takase's Musical Journey
Aki Takase was born in Osaka, Japan. She started playing the piano when she was just three years old. She grew up in Tokyo and studied classical piano. Her studies took place at the Toho Gakuen School of Music.
In 1978, Aki Takase began performing and recording music in the United States. She worked with many great musicians. These included Lester Bowie, Sheila Jordan, David Liebman, and John Zorn. Her first performance in Europe was in 1981. This was at the Berlin Jazz Festival in Germany.
Aki Takase traveled a lot and played at many international jazz festivals. Because of this, she quickly became a very popular musician. Many other artists wanted to record and work with her.
Collaborations and Projects
For many years, Aki Takase has worked with her husband, Alexander von Schlippenbach. He is also a pianist. She has also collaborated with other musicians. These include Eugene Chadbourne, Han Bennink, Evan Parker, Paul Lovens, and Fred Frith. She has also performed in duets. Some of her duet partners are Maria João, Louis Sclavis, David Murray, and Rudi Mahall.
Aki Takase has created special music projects. In these projects, she explores the music of famous jazz artists. She has worked on the music of Duke Ellington (in 1990) and Thelonious Monk (in 1994). Other projects focused on Eric Dolphy (in 1998) and Fats Waller (in 2004). Her training and adventurous spirit help her create new music. This music often mixes contemporary styles with jazz.
Some of her recent projects include "YOKOHAMA" (2009) with Louis Sclavis. Another project was "KANON" (2011) with Kazuhisa Uchihashi and Axel Dörner. In 2014, she released "Hotel Zauberberg" with Ayumi Paul.
Recent Works
Aki Takase continues to create new music. Her project "JAPANIC" (released in 2019) combines contemporary jazz with improvisations. In 2023, she released "Carmen Rhapsody" with Mayumi Nakamura, Daniel Erdmann, and Vincent Courtois. Also in 2023, she released "Four Hands Piano Pieces" with Alexander von Schlippenbach. This was a duo album.
In 2024, her duo album "Ellington" with Daniel Erdmann was released. Her quintet album "FORTE" was also released in 2024. This album featured Daniel Erdmann, DJlllvibe, Carlos Bica, and Dag Magnus Narvesen. Nils Wogram and Alexander von Schlippenbach were also guest musicians on "FORTE".
Since 1988, Aki Takase has made her home in Berlin, Germany.
Awards and Recognition
Aki Takase has received many important awards for her music.
- She won "The German Record Critics' Award" nine times. These awards were given between 1988 and 2017. One of these was for her CD "Cherry-Sakura" with David Murray in 2017.
- In 1999, she received the "Berliner Zeitung" Award. This recognized her as one of the best artists in Berlin.
- She was honored with "The SWR Jazz Award" in 2002.
- In 2018, she received the "JAZZ PREIS BERLIN" Award.
- She won the "German Jazz Preis" for Piano/Keyboard in 2021.
- Also in 2021, she received the prestigious "Albert-Mangelsdorff Preis".
- In 2024, she and Daniel Erdmann were nominated for the "German Jazz Preis" for Live Act of the Year.
Selected Discography
Aki Takase has released many albums throughout her career. Here are some examples of her work as a leader or co-leader:
- Aki (1978) was one of her early trio albums.
- Song for Hope (1981) was a trio album recorded live.
- Looking for Love (1987) was a duet with singer Maria João.
- Blue Monk (1991) was a duet with David Murray.
- Piano Duets: Live in Berlin 93/94 (1993–94) featured her in a piano duet with Alexander von Schlippenbach.
- Duet for Eric Dolphy (1997) was a duet with Rudi Mahall.
- Plays Fats Waller (2003) was a project where she explored the music of Fats Waller.
- Ornette Coleman Anthology (2006) was a duet with Silke Eberhard.
- Iron Wedding (2008) was another duet with Alexander von Schlippenbach.
- Two for Two (2011) was a duet with drummer Han Bennink.
- My Ellington (2012) was a solo piano album.
- So Long, Eric! (2014) was a larger ensemble project.
- Cherry Sakura (2017) was a duet with David Murray.
- Thema Prima (2019) was with her group Japanic.
- Isn't It Romantic? (2021) was a duet with Daniel Erdmann.
- Carmen Rhapsody (2023) was a recent project with voice and other instruments.
- Four Hands Piano Pieces (2023) was a piano duet with Alexander von Schlippenbach.
- Ellington (2024) was a duet with Daniel Erdmann.
- FORTE (2024) was a quintet album.
She has also performed as a sidewoman (a supporting musician) on albums by other artists. These include the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and Maria João.
