Makiko Hirabayashi

Makiko Hirabayashi Trio released their third album, “Surely” on the German jazz label, Enja/Yellowbird in November, 2013. This time recorded in Munich while on tour in Germany, the album includes 13 original tracks, mostly composed by Makiko Hirabayashi, with a few contrasting compositions by Marilyn Mazur and some short improvised pieces.

Since the release of her trio album “Makiko” (Enja 2006), Makiko Hirabayashi has received critical acclaim both in Europe where she resides, and in her home country, Japan. The freshness of both her compositions and the trio's vibrant interplay has caught the ears of many listeners around the world. The trio, featuring drummer/percussionist Marilyn Mazur (Miles Davis Group 85-89, Jan Garbarek Group 91-05) and bassist Klavs Hovman has been her main focus in the recent years, where she established her unique voice through performances at international jazz festivals and venues around Europe and Japan. Their second album “Hide And Seek” (Enja 2009) received Jazz Audio Disk Award for Best Instrumental Album 2009 and Jazz Melody Award 2009 for its title tune in Jazz Critique Magazine, Japan.

In 2011, Makiko collaborated with the Danish trumpet player, Flemming Agerskov on the album, “Binocular”, joined by the Italien accordion player, Francesco Cali. This album, recorded at Rainbow studio in Oslo, explored new forms of improvisation and composition, in the space created without drums and bass.

In 2008, a quintet album was released with the title, “Grey To Blue” where she collaborated with the French flutist, Mariane Bitran. This featured the dynamic American tenor saxophonist, Bob Rockwell and highlighted some energizing, powerful playing with a global sound.

Makiko Hirabayashi was born in Tokyo, Japan where she started playing classical music on the piano at the age of 4. Spending 5 years of her childhood in Hong Kong - a cultural melting point at the time, has had a lasting impact on her life. At age 20, she won a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she studied for 3 years, absorbing the language of jazz. Since 1990, she has been based in Copenhagen, Denmark, collaborating with numerous musicians both on the jazz scene and the world music scene. Her multicultural background and musical diversity is reflected in her music. Elements of jazz, classical music, Far Eastern music and Nordic sound are all molded uncontrivedly into an intriguing, compelling sound of her own.