Short (53 words)

Traditional yet modern, lyrical yet dramatic, jazz pianist Takeshi Asai has been a one-of-a-kind voice in New York’s jazz scene for more than ten years. His performance combines the melodic lyricism of Bill Evans with the feverish blues of Thelonious Monk, all enriched by the sophisticated improvisational style and the classical piano roots.

Medium (148 words)

Traditional yet modern, lyrical yet dramatic, jazz pianist Takeshi Asai has been a one-of-a-kind voice in New York’s jazz scene for more than ten years. His performance combines the melodic lyricism of Bill Evans with the feverish blues of Thelonious Monk, all enriched by the sophisticated improvisational style and the classical piano roots.

What makes Takeshi Asai’s music unique and aesthetic are his multitude sources of inspiration. He sees beauty in 12th-century French troubadours, Gregorian chants, Baroque and Romantic traditions, 20th-century music (i.e. Janáček, Takemitsu), religious music (Faure, Poulenc), the Beatles, Irish and Japanese folk music, as well as modern electronic music.

Besides his constant club engagements in NYC with talented contemporaries and legends, Takeshi Asai has a hugely successful international career; touring in Poland, UK, France, Germany, Egypt, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

He currently lives in New York, where he runs his own production company.

Long (544 words)

Traditional yet modern, lyrical yet dramatic, jazz pianist Takeshi Asai has been a one-of-a-kind voice in New York’s jazz scene for more than ten years.

What makes Takeshi Asai’s music unique and aesthetic are his multitude sources of inspiration. He sees beauty in 12th-century French troubadours, Gregorian chants, Baroque and Romantic traditions, 20th-century music (i.e. Janáček, Takemitsu), religious music (Faure, Poulenc), the Beatles, Irish and Japanese folk music, as well as modern electronic music.

Besides his constant club engagements in NYC with talented contemporaries and legends, Takeshi Asai has a hugely successful international career; touring in Poland, UK, France, Germany, Egypt, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

In New York and France, he has performed with Bill Crow, Tony Marino, Gene Perla, Bill Warfield, Paul Rostock, Mark Wade, Hashem Hashem Assadullahi, Bob Gingery, Andrea Veneziani, Nori Naraoka, Pascal Combeau, Marc Peillon, Anthony Pinciotti, Rob Garcia, Brian Woodruff, Michael Vitali, Maxime Legrand, Nelson Hill, to name but a few. Takeshi Asai is both an astute leader and sideman, having co-led several projects including the award-winning ensemble WaFoo, eclectic and Arab-influenced Kikoman, the Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble (MCCE), Le Projet Électrique (The Electric Project), and a collaboration with UK singer Monika Lidke.

Takeshi has also been working as a composer and arranger in theater projects, in which he has worked with singer and actress Lana Gordon, Jennifer Jade Ledesna, Juson Williams, Antonio McLendon & Robin Small.

His jazz venue list includes countless New York jazz clubs including Shrine, Delancey, Kitano, Rockwood Music Hall, Drom, SOMETHIN’ Jazz Club, Cleopatra’s Needle, Knitting Factory, Williamsburg Music Center, Kavehaz, Lenox Lounge, Tomi Jazz, Silvana, Garage, The Duplex, and B Flat (on residency). He has also performed in concert halls like the Lincoln Center, the DiMenna Center, Steinway Hall, the Foundy, as well as various locations such as St. Peter’s Church, Faust Harrison Piano, Beethoven Pianos, the Battery park, and public schools and libraries in New York City.

Takeshi Asai has a huge international following. He has toured many countries around the world including Poland, the United Kingdom (London), France (Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Angoulême, Rochefort, La Rochelle, Fouras, Creil, Gournay-en-Bray, Beauvais), Germany (Bremen), Egypt (Cairo, Alexandria), Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Nagoya), Australia (Sydney, Melbourne), South Korea (Seoul, Pusan) and the Philippines (Makati City). In the United States, Takeshi Asai has performed in Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Palo Alto, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

He is an honor graduate from Berklee College of Music, where he had studied with Laszlo Gardoney (who remains an esteemed friend today), Ed Tomassi, Joaane Brackeen, and Ed Bedner.

What makes Takeshi Asai’s music unique and sophisticated are his multitude sources of inspiration. He sees beauty in 12th-century French troubadours, Gregorian chants, Baroque and Romantic traditions (particularly J.S. Bach and Brahms respectively), 20th-century music (Debussy, Ravel, Janáček, Takemitsu), religious music (Faure, Poulenc), the Beatles, Paul Simon, Irish and Japanese folk music, as well as modern electronic dance music (EDM) and pop music.

Takeshi Asai is also a keen educator (Steinway Educational Partner) and producer. He runs his own studio in New York, where he has taught more than 100 students and produced dozens of professional musicians.

He currently lives in New York, where he runs his own production company.

WORLD MEDIA