The members vary project to project. I've recorded with New York heavyweights Billy Kilson, Johnathan Blake, Gene Jackson, Genta, Masanori Amakura, Rodney Holmes (drums), Dave Kikoski, Henry Hey, Makoto Ozone (keyboards), Daniel Sadownick, Genta, Valtinho (percussions), Fima Ephron, Boris Kozlov, James Genus, Scott Colley (bass), Chris Potter, Donny McCaslin (tenor sax), Alex Sipiagin, Brian Lynch (trumpet & flugelhorn), Dave Gilmore, Adam Rogers (guitars), etc. I've also recorded with all three of my parents: Toshiko Akiyoshi, Charlie Mariano and Lew Tabackin.
Influences
I draw inspiration from many camps including (but not in this order): Flora Purim, Milton Nasciemento, Tania Maria, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Soul II Soul, 4 Heroes, Prince, Miles Davis, Dianne Reeves, Pat Metheny, Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti, Joe Claussell, Mondo Grosso, United Future Organization, IG Culture, Roni Size, Nikki Giovanni, Caetano Veloso, Maya Angelou, Meshell Ndege Ocello, Joyce, Jazzanova, recently Nitin Sahwney (did I spell that right? -- damn, when I heard that track on Vikter Duplaix's site here...have you checked it out?!), A Tribe Called Quest, my parents (Toshiko Akiyoshi, Charlie Mariano and step-father Lew Tabackin), my husband Alex Sipiagin...it's too long a list to go through, and God knows I've read through some others and wondered how their fingers could type all those letters!!! There's a lot of great Artists out there is all I have to say :-)
Sounds Like
Musically I mix a lot of stuff so it's hard to even pin point it in one genre: It's at times earthy and acoustic, 70s sounding then suddenly futuristic, soft but sometimes programmed and beat-heavy, pop yet suddenly progressive and avante garde, soulful & jazzy but neither soul nor jazz. I just think it's my own organic-soul-modern-fusion! At my recent mastering, the engineer, Mark Wilder, placed the music as a "hybrid" -- I think that pretty much describes it.
First, about the songs on this page: Just released February 19, 2009 is the Yellowtail collaboration 12" of Everything Is Alright with remixes by U-Key and Daisuke Tanabe featured here. I'm also TOTALLY excited about my new album NEXUS available exclusively through my website as part of the Flow Project through ArtistShare, as well as through Knifes Edge/Pony Canyon Japan. I have a few songs from NEXUS; they are Candy produced by Adam Rogers, the Sands of Time remix by Jazztronik (bonus cut from the Japanese release), and Sometimes and Suite 610 which are self-produced. Also is a cover of the Stevie Wonder classic As to be released June '08 through the Japanese indies label Grand Gallery from the Love! Stevie! album featuring various artists and producers covering Stevie's tunes. I also am offering up from my husband's self-produced album OUT OF THE CIRCLE that just got released this year through the prestigious jazz label Sunnyside a tune he covered of mine which I'm singing on as well entitled Sketches of Myself. From my first ever album of all covers (I'm known for my more original self-penned works) entitled MY EVER CHANGING MOODS and 100% acoustically recorded with some of the greatest musicians around which came out in Japan last year, I'm offering the wonderful S.O.S. Band tune Just Be Good To Me. And finally, up from my remix album ALTERNATE ROUTES is an original track co-written and produced by UK team The Part Time Heroes entitled You Don't Know which I really love. Note: That is not my husband playing and arranging the horns on this track -- he really wanted me to mention this :-)
SO WHO AM I?
I'm a contradiction of all kinds. For starters, I'm Japanese and I'm American (or to be precise, American-Italian -- a "Wopanese"), grew up both in America & Japan. I love classical & jazz music, but I also love the underground club movement, and the music I make reflects it all. I'm conservative, and I'm a liberal. I'm gentle & shy, but I'm opinionated and out-spoken. I'm all about peace, but I'll fight for what I believe in. I love natural and organic things, but I love innovation and modernism. I'm a nice ripe age, but I feel like I'm still an egg waiting to hatch. I love life, but I hate a lot of what reality presents to me. I could go on, but I'll spare you.
I've worked with some great artists, people I can say changed my life in some ways and have a place in my heart: DJ Krush, Basement Jaxx, Mondo Grosso, United Future Organization, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Masters At Work, Joe Claussell, Anton Fier, IG Culture, Rob Playford, Angel (60 Channels), bird, m-flo, Soul Source, Eri Nobuchika, Gil Goldstein, Dill Harris, Kenny Garrett, my folks (yeah, did I mention I have 3 pretty cool folks who are jazz musicians?)...I don't want to seem like I'm dropping names, so I'll stop here (after I've just dropped a bunch! HA!). I've also done my share of paying my dues and searching: working as a secretary, hostess at a restaurant, door check girl, DJing in clubs and on radio, playing flute in the streets with a hat out so I can make enough $ to make it on the bus to the beach and hang, journalism, modeling, acting (got best new actress for my first film in Japan)...but at the end of the day, there's nothing like music. Making it, doing it, dreaming about it...loving it.
After years of being with major record labels in Japan (namely Universal & Sony, released in Europe as well), I've decided to take my own path. All the softwares out made sure of that. It's okay to share music, but I've got to say, downloading and copying has really made it hard for some of us. Record labels seeing their profit margin shrinking give artists more pressure with "Make X-type of album, or why don't you collaborate with (and they'd come up with a really lame producer who happened to be the flavor of the month)..." F*ck that. So in 2004 I got together with an internet company, ArtistShare, out here in New York, that I think really has a great concept. Their idea is that in the past, users' (or listeners') only way to connect to the music and the artist was through their albums, and it was a business, a way for labels to make a buck and for artists to support themselves while doing what they loved, but now that we're in the age of the computers and all its softwares, one CD becomes a thousand copies, no one can sustain themselves. So what ArtistShare has come up with is a way for the artist and listeners to be in direct contact with each other, for the listener to actually support the budget of the album by pre-buying the album cutting out the middle men (the labels, the record shops, etc.), and in return, the Artist gets to share the whole creative process of the album, from conceptualization, thoughts behind lyrics and songs, sheet music with chicken scratches attached, rehearsals, tours, the whole gammat of what the Artist might go through to actually get to the final point of making an album. You can copy the CD, but you can't ever copy the ideas and thoughts behind the artist. I think it's a pretty great concept, and it's put me in direct contact with some of my listeners and I'm loving it, and I've gotten a lot of e-mails telling me they're digging it too.
So far I have 4 albums made through this system, all available through my website (follow the ArtistShare link): Naked Breath which came out in December, 2004, the first offering from ArtistShare and my actual first release available worldwide -- this one is a real departure from the more produced works people associate me with, an acoustic and unplugged reworking with guitarist Adam Rogers in a duet setting of some of my older material as well as new compositions. The second is Routes in which I wearing the hats of producer, arranger/programmer, singer, record label staff, coordinator...the list is endless. And the latest is Alternate Routes, the 6 track EP CD of remixes off Routes as well as an original tune with The Part Time Heroes, Jephte Guillaume, Casamena and Yellowtail, all, with the exception of Jephte, whom I met here on Myspace -- gotta love this site. I've gotten good feedback so far from all three projects.
"I've nothing left But love to give So I'll share with you A little bit Of good warming Add a little Of yours to it This mourning Spread it around A little bit And by evenig Maybe We'll feast On an abundance Of happiness"
Thanks for your friendship and the myspace add ... and of course for all of the great music over the years! From Mangetsu to Nexus, and looking forward to everything still to come!
hi! i dont know if you remember me, i recently did a recording of How Deep Is Your Love and just wanted to let you know it was strongly inspired by your cover! If you could check it out and tell me what you think i'd greatly appreciate it! it's the first song on my page. Oh btw Sands of Time is quite possibly the best song i've ever heard =] cheers and keep the music coming!
ありがとうございます！! (thank you very much.) 亀戸の空気です。よろしく！I am Kuhki from Kameido. Thank you very much for being friends! I hope everything is going wonderful in your world. Please visit my page from time to time. I will add new music soon. Hope you like it! Sincerely,
Ciao Monday ,thank you for the add and the friendship. you are very good, I like your stupendous music a lot,and stupendous voice. compliments ..really. you are one of my prefeitis I feel great admiration for you, talk to you soon, and all of my best wishes to always listen to your good music. all the best.. from italy..and good week neal
