Akiko Grace

Akiko Grace--アキコ・グレース--, the pianistBorn in the suburbs of Tokyo, Akiko Grace (Iwase) began to learn classical piano at the age of 3 and became fascinated with jazz piano in her teens when she first heard Oscar Peterson on the radio. Akiko proceeded with her higher education in music and graduated from both Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and Berklee College of Music with honors. Since Akiko's debut in 2002, she has dominated the Japanese jazz award scene and has received most of all major jazz and music awards in Japan. Some of those are Swing Journal Magazine’s "Best Gold Disc Award," "New Star of The Year" and “Japan Jazz Grand Prize,” Music Pen Club’s "Best Popular Concert Performance of the Year by a Domestic Artist" (2002), selected by a poll of 200 music critics and writers, and "Phonograph Record of the Year"of 2003 National Arts Festival, organized and sponsored by the Agency of Cultural Affairs.Making a dramatic change from the first 3 albums featuring New York jazz, in March 2004, her fourth album "Tokyo" was released in which she artistically integrated jazz with Japanese classical and modern music, creating a unique genre in fusion jazz. In December of that same year, "from Oslo" was released. Recorded at Rainbow Studio in Oslo, it featured bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jon Christensen. In addition to album recordings, Akiko Grace has hosted “Akiko Grace’s Jazz Street,” a radio program introducing various jazz artists, as well as performed in a charity event on April 22nd 2002 for the aid of New York City with Helen Merrill and other jazz greats. Akiko had been performing or recording with jazz giants including; Gary Peacock, Eddie Gomez, Jorge Rossy, George Garzone, John Lockwood, Ron Carter, Bill Stewart, Larry Grenadier, Jon Cristensen, Kurt Rosenwinkle. Bill Laswell, etc.Akiko Grace's latest CD has been just released in 2008/7/23, "Graceful Vision", NY Trio recording with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Ari Hoenig. "Graceful Vision" carries highly artistic vibes to the piano trio music, its creative approach fascinates all the art-form lovers.