Aki Takase

Aki Takase (高瀬 アキ) (born January 26, 1948) is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer.

Aki Takase
Aki Takase in June 2008
Background information
Born	(1948-01-26) January 26, 1948 (age 76) Osaka, Japan
Origin	Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Jazz, Avant-garde jazz, Free jazz, Free improvisation
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instrument	Piano
Years active	1978–present
Website	akitakase.de

Biography

Takase was born in Osaka and started to play piano at age 3. Raised in Tokyo, she studied classical piano at Toho Gakuen School of Music.^[1] Starting in 1978, Takase began performing and recording in the US.^[1] Her collaborators have included Lester Bowie, Sheila Jordan, David Liebman, and John Zorn. Her first European appearance was in 1981 at the Berlin Jazz Festival in Germany. Through her constant touring and appearances at international jazz festivals, Takase quickly became one of the most sought-after musicians for recording and collaboration.

For many years, she has worked with her husband Alexander von Schlippenbach (also a pianist), as well as with Eugene Chadbourne, Han Bennink, Evan Parker, Paul Lovens, Fred Frith and many others, and in duets with Maria João, Louis Sclavis, David Murray and Rudi Mahall.

In various projects, Takase has dealt with the respective oeuvres of numerous famous jazz musicians, including the works of Duke Ellington (1990), Thelonious Monk (1994), Eric Dolphy (1998), W.C. Handy (2002), Fats Waller (2004), and Ornette Coleman (2006). Given her training and adventurous spirit, Takase's new projects exist as a genre between contemporary music and jazz. These include her project YOKOHAMA (Intakt 2009) with Louis Sclavis, KANON (doubtmusic 2011) with Kazuhisa Uchihashi and Axel Dörner or "Hotel Zauberberg" with Ayumi Paul in 2014 (Intakt Records).

LA PLANETE w/ Louis Sclavis, Vincent Courtois, Dominique Pifarely. LOK.03 w/ Alex v. Schlippenbach and DJIIIVibe. „TAMA“ w/ Jan Roder, Oliver Steidle.“ „Reading and Music“ performance w/ Yoko Tawada . With her quintett JAPANIC (26. April 2019/ BMC) Aki Takase brings together Contemporary Jazz and Improvisations.“ AUGE“ w/ Christian Weber and Michael Griener. Cities in the Piano : dance +piano w / Yui Kawaguchi. 2023 Carmen Rhapsody] with Mayumi Nakamura, Daniel Erdmann. Vincent Courtois. The CD was published in February by BMC Records. 2023 AAPD Duo with Alexander von Schlippenbach Four Hands Piano Pieces The CD and LP were published in May by Trost Records. 2024 Duo ELLINGTON with Daniel Erdmann was published in March by enja Records. 2024 Japanic FORTE was published in April by BMC Records with Daniel Erdmann, DJlllvibe, Carlos Bica, Dag Magnus Narvesen also as Guest with Nils Wogram and Alexander von Schlippenbach.

Since 1988, Takase has lived in Berlin.

Award: „Berliner Zeitung“Award (the best Artists of 1999 in the Berlin Newspaper) „The „SWR Jazz“ Award 2002. CD „Cherry-Sakura“ with David Murray „The German Record Critics „ Award(2017/2) „The German Record Critics‘ Award also In total she received the awards 9 times (1988-2017). “JAZZ PREIS BERLIN „ Award 2018. „German Jazz Preis“ for Piano/ keyboard Award 2021. „Albert-Mangelsdorff Preis“ Award 2021. „German Jazz Preis“ with Daniel Erdmann for Live Act of the year was nominated 2024.

Discography

An asterisk (*) after the year indicates that it is the year of release.

As leader/co-leader

Year recorded	Title	Label	Personnel/Notes
1978	Aki	King	Trio, with Nobuyoshi Ino (electric bass, cello), Takuji Kusumoto (drums, percussion)
1981*	Minerva's Owl	Teichiku Union	Quartet, with Dave Liebman (tenor sax, soprano sax), Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), Motohiko Hino (drums)
1981	Esprit	Teichiku Union	One track solo piano; most tracks duo, with Yoshio Ikeda (bass)
1981	Song for Hope	Enja	Trio, with Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), Takeo Moriyama (drums); in concert
1982	ABC	Teichiku Union/East Wind	With Cecil McBee (bass), Bob Moses (drums), Sheila Jordan (vocals)
1982	Perdido	Enja	Solo piano and koto; in concert
1985	Teni Muho	Mobys	Duo, with Nobuyoshi Ino (bass, percussion)
1987	Looking for Love	Enja	Duo, with Maria João (vocals); in concert
1990	Shima Shoka	Enja	Solo piano
1990	Gunther Klatt & Aki Takase Play Ballads of Duke Ellington	Tutu	Duo, with Gunther Klatt (tenor sax)
1991	Blue Monk	Enja	Duo, with David Murray (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet)
1992	Close Up of Japan	Enja	With Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), Toki String Quartet
1993	Clapping Music	Enja	Trio, with Reggie Workman (bass), Sunny Murray (drums)
1993–94	Piano Duets: Live in Berlin 93/94	FMP	Duo, with Alexander von Schlippenbach (piano); in concert
1994	Oriental Express	Omagatoki/Enja	Septet, with Hiroaki Katayama (baritone sax, tenor sax), Eiithi Hayashi (alto sax, soprano sax), Issei Igarashi (trumpet), Hiroshi Itaya (trombone), Nobuyoshi Ino (bass), Shota Koyama (drums)
1997	Duet for Eric Dolphy	Enja	Duo, with Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet)
1997	Tarantella	Psi	Quintet, with Aleks Kolkowski (violin), Maurice Horsthuis (viola), Tristan Honsinger (cello), Nobuyoshi Ino (bass); released 2006
1997	Valencia		Duo, with David Murray (tenor saxophone, bass clarinet); in concert
2001	Le Cahier du Bal	Leo	Solo piano
2001	St Louis Blues	Enja	With Nils Wogram (trombone), Fred Frith (guitar), Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet), Paul Lovens (percussion)
2001	Nine Fragments	Leo	As DEMPA; trio, with Aleksander Kolkowski (violin, turntables, electronics), Tony Buck (drums, electronics)
2002*	Diagonal	Sound Hills	Duo, with Yoko Tawada (vocals)
2002	News from Berlin	Victo	Duo, with Konrad Bauer (trombone)
2003	The Dessert	Leo	Duo, with Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet)
2003	Plays Fats Waller	Enja	With Thomas Heberer (trumpet), Nils Wogram (trombone), Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet), Eugene Chadbourne (guitar, banjo, vocals), Paul Lovens (percussion)
2004	Plays Fats Waller in Berlin	jazzwerkstatt	With Thomas Heberer (trumpet), Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet), Eugene Chadbourne (guitar, banjo, vocals), Paul Lovens (percussion); in concert
2004	Procreation	Enja	Quintet, with Walter Gauchel (tenor sax, flute), Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet), Johannes Fink (bass), Heinrich Köbberling (drums)
2004	Lok 03	Leo	With Alexander von Schlippenbach (piano), DJ Illvibe (samples, turntables)
2004	Spring in Bangkok	Intakt	Duo, with Lauren Newton (vocals)
2006	Ornette Coleman Anthology	Intakt	Duo, with Silke Eberhard (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet)
2007*	Tenimuhou		Duo, with Nobuyoshi Ino (bass, percussion)
2007	Something Sweet, Something Tender	Enja	Solo piano
2011	Beauty Is the Thing	Doubtmusic	As Kanon; trio, with Axel Dörner (trumpet), Kazuhisa Ushihashi (guitar)
2008	Live at Willisau Jazz Festival	jazzwerkstatt	Quintet, with Tobias Delius (tenor sax, clarinet), Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet), Johannes Fink (bass), Heinrich Köbberling (drums); in concert
2008	Iron Wedding	Intakt	Duo, with Alexander von Schlippenbach (piano)
2008	Evergreen	Intakt	With Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet)
2008	A Week Went By	Psi	Some tracks solo piano; one track duo, with John Tchicai (alto sax); some tracks trio, with John Edwards (double bass) and Tony Levin (drums); in concert
2009	Yokohama	Intakt	With Louis Sclavis (clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone)
2009	Rolled Up	jazzwerkstatt	As Tama; trio, with Jan Roder (bass), Oliver Steidle (drums)
2011	Two for Two	Intakt	Duo, with Han Bennink (drums)
2011	New Blues	Enja	Most tracks quintet, with Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet), Nils Wogram (trombone), Eugene Chadbourne (guitar, banjo, vocals), Paul Lovens (drums); one track with Alexander von Schlippenbach (trumpet) added
2012	My Ellington	Intakt	Solo piano
2012	Flying Soul	Intakt	Quartet, with Louis Sclavis (clarinet, bass clarinet), Dominique Pifarély (violin), Vincent Courtois (cello)
2014	So Long, Eric!	Intakt	With Tobias Delius (tenor sax), Henrik Walsdorff (alto sax), Axel Dörner (trumpet), Nils Wogram (trombone), Rudi Mahall (bass clarinet, clarinet), Alexander von Schlippenbach (piano), Karl Berger (vibraphone), Wilbert de Joode and Antonio Borghini (bass), Han Bennink and Heinrich Köbberling (drums); in concert
2014	Hotel Zauberberg	Intakt	Duo, with Ayumi Paul (violin)
2017	Cherry Sakura	Intakt	Duo, with David Murray
2018*	DITZNERs Carte Blanche – Live At Enjoy Jazz 2017	fixcel	With Silke Eberhard (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet), Sebastian Gramss (bass), Erwin Ditzner (drums)
2019	Thema Prima	BMC	With Japanic: Daniel Erdmann (saxophone), DJ Illvibe (turntables, electronics), Johannes Fink (double bass), Dag Magnus Narvasen (drums)
2021	Isn't It Romantic?
BMC	Duo with Daniel Erdmann
2021	AUGE	Intakt	Trio with Christian Weber (bass), Michael Griener (drums)

|- |2023 |Carmen Rhapsody |BMC |with Mayumi Nakamura (voice), Daniel Erdmann(tenor sopranosax), Vincent Courtois (cello) |} |- |2023 |Four Hands Piano Pieces |Trost records |Duo with Alexander von Schlippenbach |} |- |2024 |"ELLINGTON " |enja records |Duo with Daniel Erdmann |} | |2024 |FORTE |BMC |Qunitett with Daniel Erdmann (tenor & soprano sax), Vincent von Schlippenbach (turntable), Carlos Bica(bass), Dag Magnus Narvesen (drums)

|} |===As sidewoman===

Year recorded	Leader	Title	Label
1989	Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra	Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra	ECM
1993	Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra	The Morlocks and Other Pieces	FMP
1996	Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra	Live in Japan '96	DIW
1990	Maria João	Alice	Enja
2007*	Various	Free Zone Appleby 2006	Psi
2007*	Various	Ich hebe meine Augen in die Welt
2007	Sven-Åke Johansson	Für Paul Klee	jazzwerkstatt

Sources:^[2][3]

Awards

• The German Record Critics' Award 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2009, CD "Cherry-Sakura" with David Murray 2017/2. In total she received the awards 9 times (1988–2017).
• Berliner Zeitung Award (the best Artists of 1999 in the Berlin Newspaper)
• The SWR Jazz Award 2002.^[4]
• Jazzpreis Berlin, 2018^[5]
• German Jazz Preis for Piano/Keyboard Award 2021.
• Albert Mangelsdorff Prize 2021

References

1. Ankeny, Jason "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
2. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin. pp. 1372–1373. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
3. "Intakt Records – Artists: Aki Takase, Piano, Composition". Intakt Records. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
4. SWR – Südwestrundfunk
5. Aki Takase: Berliner Jazzpreis

External links

• Official site (in German, English and Japanese)
• Representation