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Shoko Nagai
SHOKO NAGAI - Biography
Pianist Accordionist Improviser Composer
Shoko Nagai is a versatile musical artist who improvises and performs with world-renowned musicians on piano and accordion and composes original scores for films and live performances. As a teenager in her native Japan, Nagai was trained on Yamaha's electronic organ, the "Electone," to perform popular music. Since moving to the U.S. from Japan and studying classical and jazz music at Berklee, she has adapted her mastery of the keyboard to prepared piano, accordions, the melodica and other instruments, often inspired by the minimalist approach of composer Takemitsu Toru. Whether she is performing Klezmer, Balkan or experimental music, Nagai is a charismatic presence onstage, who hypnotizes audiences with her intense focus and virtuoso sound.
Since moving to New York in 1999 she has been dubbed an "MVP" of the downtown jazz scene, performing with John Zorn, Erik Friedlander, Ikue Mori, Marc Ribot, Frank London, Matana Roberts, Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto), Satoshi Takeishi, Butch Morris, Elliot Sharp, Isle of Klezbos, Sanda Weigl, and many eclectic performers. Nagai frequently tours internationally, performing in Sweden (2009 Nobel Prize ceremony for German writer, Herta Muller with Sanda Weigl), Italy (Napoli Teatro Festival 2015), Austria( Saalffelden Jazz Festival 2014), France ( Banlieues Bleues 2012), Switzerland (Rote Fabrik 2012), Holland (Bimhuis 2012), Japan (Fuji Rock Festival 2012), Israel (Romanian Institute 2011), Canada (Suoni Popolo Festival 2008), Germany ( Moers Jazz festival 2007), and Brazil (resfest 2007) and in the U.S. ( Newport Jazz Festival 2015, Saratoga Jazz Festival 2008). She has received grants from CMA (Chamber Music America) in 2021, NYFA ( New York Fine Arts) in 2010, JazzJants (Painted Bride Arts Center) in 2008.
Nagai's compositions for directed by Mari Kawade HodoBuzz (2020), Quartet of films directed by Linda Hoaglund : Edo Avant-garde ( NHK 2019) The Wound and The Gift, narrated by Vanessa Redgrave (Vancouver, DOC NYC, Tokyo FilmX 2014) Things Left Behind, (2012) produced by Japan's national broadcaster, NHK ANPO: Art X War (2010 Toronto, DOC NYC, Vancouver, and Hong Kong film festival, CARE (2016 DOC NYC, AFI DOCS, Sheffield Doc Fest, Reelworld Impact Award) directed by Diredre Fishel festivals), L'amour Cache (2007), directed by Alessandro Capone and conducted by Butch Morris.
Recent Recordings
Shoko Nagai: Taken Shadows
Erik Freidlander: Nothing On Earth
Jeremiah Lockwood/ Frank London: Songs of Zebulon
Leslie Pintchik: You eat my food, You drink my wine, You steal my girl
FIDO Quartet
Isle Klezbos: Live in Brooklyn
Inna Barmash: Yiddish Lullabies& Love Songs
Read moreTags
Shoko Nagai, Maryanne de Prophetis, Ron Horton, Stomu Takeishi: FIDOqrtet
by Alberto Bazzurro
Album di improvvisazione senza rete, questo del FIDOqrtet, che in realtà agisce come tale solo in quattro degli undici brani complessivi, scindendosi negli altri sette in diversi abbinamenti: senza la voce in altri quattro ("Rayo de luna," Tsuru," Terramoto" e Morning"), senza al tromba in La Coyote," in duo rispettivamente piano/batteria e tromba/batteria in Waking" e Flow In." Il risultato è un album inciso in più sedute fra il 2015 e il 2016 (il gruppo è attivo ...
read moreTake Five With Shoko Nagai
by AAJ Staff
Meet Shoko Nagai: Born in Nagoya, Japan, composer and pianist Shoko Nagai has been evolving as a professional musician for fifteen years. In Boston, she received a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music. In 1999 she moved to New York City and quickly established herself in the downtown jazz scene performing with musicians such as John Zorn, Rasheid Ali, Buch Morris,Tom Rainy, Cuong Vu, Matana Roberts, Ikue Mori, Satoshi Takeishi, Guillermo Brown, Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto), Tomas Fujiwara and ...
read morePremier of the Complete Visual Jazz Composition "Procession" with Shoko Nagai by T.E.Priemon
Source:
All About Jazz
"Procession" explores the non standard use of the jazz composition. This work is composed much in the same way John Cage's 4'33" was performed, without playing a single note. Procession is composed using the medium of Photonality, which basically is a visual music composition. The camera acts as an additional instrument within the performance. Shoko Nagai's performance evoked the traditional Japanese music and also paid homage to the American composer John Cage. Procession was created within the Philadelphia performance of ...
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Satoshi Takeishi
drumsIsle of Klezbos
clarinetPhotos
Music
Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson