MIDNIGHT SIDEWALK -CD
Although released together, BACKFLOATING and MIDNIGHT SIDEWALK are two
distinct physical albums. Each has its own character, while both belong to the same musical world. Together, they offer an intimate portrait of Kei Akagi’s music, performed by a trio in deep conversation.
KEI AKAGI TRIO ケイ赤城トリオ
KEI AKAGI ケイ赤城（Piano）
SHUNYA WAKAI 若井俊也（Base）
SOTA KIRA 吉良創太（Drums）
1. The Two Stanleys
2. Relentlessly
3. Silver Links
4. Midnight Sidewalk
5. Once and Again
6. Three Rooms (electric)
7. Next Exit Home
8. Shikakugai Katsudou
9. For Heaven's Sake
All Compositions by Kei Akagi, RED CASTLE MUSIC (BMI)
Variation:
MIDNIGHT SIDEWALK
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Variation:
MIDNIGHT SIDEWALK
Two New Albums
BACKFLOATING and MIDNIGHT SIDEWALK are two distinct albums by the Kei Akagi Trio, bringing together a collection of Kei Akagi compositions recorded for the first time.
Across 17 pieces, the two albums open a wide musical landscape shaped by Kei Akagi’s writing and by the deep understanding of his trio, with Shunya Wakai on bass and Sota Kira on drums. Having played together for around ten years, the three musicians share a natural sense of space, movement, and quiet intensity.
Kei Akagi has built a unique voice in contemporary jazz, moving between Japan and the United States, and performing with many important musicians, including Miles Davis, Stanley Turrentine, and Airto Moreira. In these recordings, his compositions reveal different sides of that voice: lyrical, abstract, playful, introspective, and full of subtle rhythm.
This is the fifth collaboration between Kei Akagi and Time & Style Jazz. For Time & Style, jazz is part of a wider cultural expression, a meeting point between sound, space, craft, and the quiet beauty of everyday life.
INTERVIEW
Kei Akagi
piano
Born in 1953, Akagi spent his childhood from age four to 12 in Cleveland, Ohio, where he started taking piano lessons at the age of five and studied piano theory and music history at the Cleveland Music Settlement. Upon his return to Japan, he was exposed to jazz music while in high school and studied philosophy and music composition at the International Christian University. After completing his undergraduate degree, he moved back to the United States, where he continued to play with many musicians. He is a globally celebrated pianist who performed as the only Japanese member of the Miles Davis group from 1989 to 1991.
Shunya Wakai
bass
Born in 1988, Wakai studied classical piano and composition from the age of three and started playing double bass upon entering Meiji University. In 2013, he joined the Kei Akagi Trio as a regular member for many domestic and international tours and recordings in the United States. He is currently based in Tokyo, working with various bands and performing at sessions, including the Kei Akagi Trio, Yuki Arimasa Trio, Shota Watanabe Trio, Nao Takeuchi Quartet, Dairiki Hara Quartet, May Inoue Group, Shunya Wakai Trio, and more.
Sota Kira
drums
Born in 1989. Completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees in wind and percussion at the Tokyo College of Music. While in graduate school, Kira began his professional career as a member of the band of Isao Suzuki, a Japanese jazz legend. He later gained significant experience playing with various bands and musicians including Mabumi Yamaguchi (tenor saxophone) and Kenichi Nishio (trumpet), then joined the Kei Akagi Trio in 2019. He is also the organizer of the percussion ensemble group DA.DA.DOUN, actively engaged in the jazz scene.