Kei Akagi facts for kids

Kei Akagi (ケイ 赤城/赤城 恵, Akagi Kei, born March 16, 1953) is a super talented Japanese American jazz pianist. He is known for playing with some really big names in jazz music. For example, he played with the group of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim. He was also a part of Miles Davis's band in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Kei Akagi's Life Journey

Kei Akagi was born in Japan. When he was a child, he lived in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. But then, at age 12, he moved back to Japan. Later, when he was 22 years old, he returned to the United States. Today, he is a professor of music at the University of California, Irvine. He is a big part of the jazz music scene in California.

His Amazing Music

Kei Akagi has released many of his own jazz albums. On these albums, he often plays the piano with a small group of musicians. This could be a trio (three musicians) or a quartet (four musicians).

Playing with Other Artists

Kei Akagi has also played with many other famous musicians. When a musician plays with someone else, they are called a "sideman." Here are some of the cool artists he has played with:

With Miles Davis

Kei Akagi played the piano in Miles Davis's band. Miles Davis was one of the most important jazz musicians ever! Kei Akagi played on these albums with him:

• Dingo (This was a movie soundtrack)
• Miles in Paris (This was recorded live in 1989)
• Live Around the World (This album has live recordings from 1988 to 1991)

With Frank Gambale

He also played with the guitarist Frank Gambale on several albums, including:

• Brave New Guitar
• A Present for the Future
• Live!
• Thunder from Down Under
• Note Worker

With Other Greats

Kei Akagi has also shared his musical talent with many other incredible artists, such as:

• Allan Holdsworth
• Gary Lefebvre
• Al di Meola
• James Newton
• Stanley Turrentine