Keiko Matsui Debuts “The Road…” Music Video | U.S. Tour Dates Announced
Visionary Japanese Instrumentalist Keiko Matsui Debuts Music Video For The Title Track From Her Album The Road…
Second Leg Of U.S. Tour Runs August Through October With A Special Guest Performance Aboard The Dave Koz Alaskan Cruise
With over a million and a half albums sold and sold out concerts around the globe, keyboardist Keiko Matsui is a citizen of the world and one of the brightest stars in instrumental music.
Earlier this year, Shanachie Entertainment released Keiko Matsui’s The Road…, her 22nd album and a follow-up to her acclaimed 2007 South African inspired Moyo. Building on the success of the album’s first single “Affirmation,” featuring Kirk Whalum
on saxophone, Ms. Matsui recently filmed a sublime music video for the
majestic title track which features another preeminent sax player, Jackiem Joyner.
Directed by Phil Lee, the video showcases breathtaking aerial views of
Keiko playing a white grand piano in the Mojave desert along the
outskirts of Palmdale, CA.
The lush impressionistic choreography in the video for The Road…
echoes Keiko’s visionary musical ability throughout the album of the
same name as she exhibits a natural affinity for melody while
effortlessly transcending boundaries; borrowing from such diverse idioms
as jazz, classical, rock, blues, traditional music of the world and
beyond. From the elegant opener “Secret Pond” to the evocative free-form flight of “Falcon’s Wing,” which shines light on the pianist’s classical influences, to the lilting cool of “Embrace & Surrender,” featuring veteran drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, to her co-writing collaborations with revered Cameroonian bassist/guitarist/vocalist/producer Richard Bona (Pat Metheny, Bobby McFerrin, Zawinul Syndicate) on both the spirited dance-inducing “Nguea Wonja” (which means to ‘take pride in the road you are traveling on your journey’) and the divine ballad “Touching Peace,” this self-produced opus stands tall as another exquisite achievement in Keiko’s masterful career.
Over the course of three decades, her free spirit and creative genius
have afforded her the luxury to share the stage with everyone from
Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis to Hugh Masakela and Bob James.
Keiko will soon be gracing stages once again, beginning with a four-day
stint at the world-famous Yoshi’s in San Francisco, CA on August 3rd.
From there, she will commence on the second leg of her U.S. tour with
shows at clubs, theaters and wineries throughout California before
embarking on a seven-day cruise as a performing artist aboard the Dave Koz and Friends At Sea excursion from August 26 – September 2nd. More info about the Dave Koz Alaskan Cruise is available at http://www.davekozcruise.com/alaska. Matsui’s Road… continues again in mid-October with gigs on both coasts.
Aside
from performing worldwide, Keiko (pronounced Kay-Koe means ‘happy
celebratory child’ in Japanese) is an activist by nature, using her
music to speak to the world while also lending her voice to causes
championed by organizations like The United Nations World Food Programme, Be The Match Marrow Registry and The National Donor Program and Marrow Foundation.
KEIKO MATSUI
TOUR DATES
Aug 03 – San Francisco, CA, Yoshi’s
Aug 04 – San Francisco, CA, Yoshi’s
Aug 05 – San Francisco, CA, Yoshi’s
Aug 06 – San Francisco, CA, Yoshi’s
Aug 07 – Temecula, CA, Thornton Winery
Aug 10 – Livermore, CA, Bankhead Theatre
Aug 11 – Santa Cruz, CA, Kuumbwa Jazz Club
Aug 12 – Cerritos, CA, Cerritos Center for the Arts
Aug 13 – Modesto, CA, State Theater
Aug 26 – Dave Koz and Friends At Sea (7-day Alaskan Cruise)
Oct 14 – La Quinta, CA, La Quinta Spa and Resort
Oct 16 – Annapolis, MD, Ram’s Head Tavern
Oct 17 – Alexandria, VA, Birchmere
Oct 20 – Scottsdale, AZ, The Compound
Oct 21 – San Diego, CA, Anthology
Oct 22 – Catalina Island, CA, Jazztrax Festival
KEIKO MATSUI
THE ROAD…
1) Secret Pond (ft. Vinnie Colaiuta)
2) Falcon’s Wing (ft. Richard Bona)
3) Nguea Wonja (ft. Richard Bona)
4) Bohemian Concerto (ft. MB Gordy)
5) Embrace & Surrender (ft. Vinnie Colaiuta)
6) Awakening (ft. Kirk Whalum)
7) Touching Peace (ft. Richard Bona)
8) Affirmation (ft. Kirk Whalum & Vinnie Colaiuta)
9) The Road… (ft. Jackiem Joyner)