Artist:Keiko Matsui
Song:Safari
Album:Sapphire
Japanese jazz pianist Keiko Matsui has been very successful in the smooth jazz market since the 90s. She writes and produces everything with husband Kazu Matsui. She's bounced around a lot of labels but she currently distributes through Shanachie. She was born Keiko Doi July 26, 1961 in Tokyo. Keiko began taking piano lessons at age six. At first she studied classical piano. But she got interested in jazz as a teen and she started writing. Keiko studied children's culture at Japan Women's University and then she studied at the Yamaha Music Foundation. She started the band Cosmos and recorded several albums for the Japanese label Pony Canyon. Then she met and married Kazu Matsui. He plays the Japanese Bamboo Flute. You have probably heard him in films. Keiko signed a solo deal with Passport Records. They were soon taken over by MCA. Her husband produces all her albums. She moved to the Japanese label White Cat in 1992. They were distributed in the US by Unity. Safari is from the 1995 album Sapphire. It topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart. She's been popular in the smooth jazz market since then. The album includes guest vocals by Karla Bonoff and Valerie Carter. Musicians include Paul Taylor on sax, Rob Mullins on keyboards, Derek Nakamoto on bass and Lenny Castro on percussion. This album is available on CD. Shout Factory has the rights to Keiko's 90s albums. Keiko recorded for Narada in the 00s. Since 2011 she has recorded for Shanachie. Her latest CD was released in 2023. Keiko will begin a tour in August that will run through November. And she will do a couple of jazz cruises in Feb. 2026. Keiko puts on a pretty good show so I recommend her to smooth jazz fans. Here's the video for Safari by Keiko Matsui.
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