Jazz Articles about Aki Takase
Aki Takase: Auge
by John Sharpe
While it might be Aki Takase's name which grabs the attention thanks to her illustrious track record, the trio on Auge represents a true co-operative, as the Berlin-based Japanese pianist joins forces with Swiss bassist Christian Weber and German drummer Michael Griener in a perfectly balanced triumvirate. Takase draws on an ouevre which famously encompasses almost the entire history of jazz, stretching from projects reimagining Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, and Eric Dolphy all the way to freeform ...
read moreIngrid Laubrock + Aki Takase: Kasumi
by Don Phipps
Looking into a mirror, one can see a reflection. Holding a mirror up to a mirror, one can see not only one reflection but a series of reflections. Kasumi, a chamber-jazz album from pianist Aki Takase and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, is a lot like that--the compositions form a series of reflections, in this case highlighted by top-drawer abstract music. Modernism pervades the compositions —five by Takase, three by Laubrock, and four written jointly. Each piece has its own ...
read moreAki Takase: In The River's Flow
by Ian Patterson
After forty plus years of recording and touring Aki Takase could be forgiven for easing up a little, for pulling back on the reins. Instead, the Japanese pianist/composer's creative fire is burning as strongly as ever. Since turning seventy in 2018, Takase has released five albums--four in 2019 alone. This output of creative energy showcases the pianist's versatility and a broad-minded approach to music making. DITZNERs Carte Blanche--Live at Enjoy Jazz Festival 2017 (fixcel, 2018) captures Takase in ...
read moreAki Takase: Thema Prima
by Friedrich Kunzmann
Where does one go after having studied the most important composers in jazz history and dedicated entire albums to them in a 40-year career? The answer lies somewhere between nowhere and everywhere, according to what Japanese pianist / composer Aki Takase presents with her new energetic project JAPANIC on Thema Prima. Whilst the aesthetic and energy at hand are steeped in the tradition of late greats, Takase welcomes chaos into her world and, with some help of modern electronic manipulations, ...
read moreAki Takase Japanic: Thema Prima
by Ian Patterson
Japanese pianist-composer Aki Takase might have agreed with Miles Davis when he said in a 1986 interview with Nick Kent for The Face: “just about everything sounds better these days. Even a car crash sounds better." For the brilliant collison of jazz and hip-hop that is Thema Prima bristles with sonic textures seemingly inspired by the cut and thrust of urban centers. In some ways, these ten pieces could arguably be read as a vibrant extension of LOK 3 (Leo ...
read moreNo Euros Required
by Maurice Hogue
There's a heavy European flavour to this episode as we explore the current scene in eleven different countries. Two albums on the Hungarian BMC label introduce BMC's latest round of releases: pianist Aki Takase (Germany) & her band, Japanic, and saxophonist Istvan Grensco & his Collective Special 5 (Hungary), which features the great American reed man, Ken Vandermark. It's a first time meeting for these two tenor titans of today. German drummer Peter Kahlenborn and his trio tear it up ...
read moreAki Takase: Cherry – Sakura
by John Sharpe
Twenty three years after their first studio date Blue Monk (Enja, 1993), Japanese pianist Aki Takase and American saxophonist David Murray reunite in Switzerland. There has been one live recording since, Valencia (Sound Hills, 1997), but the question remains what took them so long? The saxophone/piano axis has been a favored format for both. Murray's companions include Mal Waldron, John Hicks, Randy Weston and most frequently Dave Burrell, while Takase's partners encompass Rudi Mahall, Silke Eberhard, Louis Sclavis and Daniele ...
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