CONTRAST & FORM 　　Kei Akagi Trio 　　 　　Kei Akagi (piano) 　　Shunya Wakai (bass) 　　Tamaya Honda (drums) 　　 　　Contrast and form: we can’t have one without the other. Faced with the rich tapestry of greys that comprise life, we rely on contrast and form to make sense of it all. In the absence of perceptible contrast and form, we must somehow provide it. That is one of the things art can do. It is my hope that the music you hear on this recording will contribute in that way. 　　 　　The music on this recording was composed over a three-year period, but the performance methods of the Trio evolved over a much longer time. The group was formed in 2000 as an experimental performance collective. Our point of departure is the rich history of jazz and its traditions, but we also engage in constant spontaneous deconstructions of the rhythmic and harmonic elements that define the music. Eschewing the traditional roles of the instruments associated with a piano trio format, the Trio emphasizes the equal role of each member within the ensemble. I am deeply grateful to drummer Tamaya Honda, my collaborator from the very beginning. He has an intuitive knack for giving substance to my compositions (some of which are very skeletal) and turning them into actual music and not mere sonic events. Bassist Shunya Wakai is a wonderful example of the new generation of musicians thoroughly versed in historical traditions, yet not bound by them. He is a critical addition to the Trio, which ducks in and out of so many different musical streams, often without conscious consensus. 　　 　　The music was recorded with a minimum of rehearsals; the majority of the tracks are first-take results. "In The Fold" started as a simple theme, inspired by some of the church music I experienced as a youth. I make no claims to stylistic authenticity. I let the melody breathe naturally; ironically this resulted in the somewhat unusual rhythmic groupings of the solo section. 　　 　　"Playground – The Dog and The Snake:" a recurring short riff in seven, against which is juxtaposed a languid melody reminiscent of a children’s song. Tamaya Honda came up with some incredible cross rhythms that occur in the middle of the track, purposely clashing with a regrouping of 21 beats into seven equal divisions of three. This larger subdivision is retained for the solo section. "Ame to Kaeru" is a mini-suite of three sections. The first part – rhythmic punches deliberately staggered between the three instruments – is heavily notated. A recurring bass figure serves as improvisational material for the duet in the middle section. Finally, some open improvisation by the trio is brought to a close by a short rhythmic device. 　　 　　I am very happy to record Wayne Shorter’s signature composition "Limbo" from the Miles Davis Second Quintet era, one of the most influential groups in modern jazz history. The harmonic structure of this piece has always fascinated me. The original melody includes a curious 2-beat bar; we’ve kept it in for the solo structure. "Simply Five" and "Count Nine" were conceived as compositions for dance. This is music of joy, hope, and celebration. The three-part "Contrast & Form" series is loosely based on a set of augmented triads, with a middle section inspired by chordal language from Miles Davis. The recording was a single continuous performance; the CD track markers were inserted later. 　　 　　I must acknowledge some personal debts. There are four musicians in my career that I owe so much to: Airto Moreira, James Newton, Miles Davis, and Stanley Turrentine. Through countless performances, each of them showed me utterly different paths of music as uncompromising intersections of personal vision, courage, intensely shared emotions, intuitions of the moment, and awe-inspiring skills. These artists form the basic tapestry of the music of CONTRAST & FORM, perhaps not obviously, but as the looming figures and reference points in my creative endeavors as I have tried - like so many others - to navigate the enormous changes in jazz music during the last several decades. 　　 　　The world now is filled with wonderful jazz musicians, maybe more than at any other time. We dialogue with tradition, we negotiate with modernism, etc., but we ultimately confront music as a totality of past and present, all of which pushes us into the future as we speak. Within the kaleidoscope of musical possibilities we see ever-changing contrasts and forms, all within a continuum of perpetual sonic transformation, some lasting a moment of time and others lasting decades. We are free to embrace it all; I do so with gratitude. 　　 　　 　　KEI AKAGI 　　 　　Pianist and composer Kei Akagi - born in Sendai, Japan - spent his childhood years in Cleveland, Ohio, where he trained at The Music Settlement, studying piano, theory, and music history. Returning to Japan in his early teens, he eventually studied philosophy and music composition at International Christian University in Tokyo. Upon graduation he was accepted as a graduate student in the Doctorate Program in Philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While pursuing his studies there, he also found time to compose and orchestrate music for the University jazz band, as well as performing locally in various bands. He turned to music as a full-time professional at the age of twenty-five. 　　 　　As a pianist and composer, Akagi has been a mainstay of the international jazz world for almost four decades. Known for his work as a member of the Miles Davis band, his career includes extended associations with major figures such as Stanley Turrentine, James Newton, Joe Farrell, Al DiMeola, and Airto Moreira. He has also performed or recorded with Art Pepper, Blue Mitchell, Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter, Charlie Haden, Charnett Moffett, Tom Harrell, Eddie Harris, Slide Hampton, Steve Turre, Robin Eubanks, Allan Holdsworth, John Patitucci and others. 　　 　　As a solo artist and leader, Akagi has recorded 14 CD’s. As a sideman and accompanist, he is on over 60 CD’s worldwide, including Miles Davis’ last recorded works. He has over 70 published compositions. He is a Professor of Music at the University of California, Irvine.