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明田川荘之


Shoji Aketagawa (明田川荘之), born October 23, 1950 in Tokyo, Japan is an avant-garde jazz pianist, composer, and ocarina player. He is also the owner of the Aketa No Mise jazz club in western Tokyo and the associated Aketa's Disk label. His first encounter with keyboard instruments began in the first grade of elementary school when Hisashi Kayama, a pupil of his father (by trade a sculptor), taught him how to play the organ. After playing the electone for four and a half years at his mother's suggestion, he switched to the piano at university. At the age of 19 he had already begun performing with his own trio at venues such as the Shinjuku Pit Inn and the Shibuya Oscar. In February 1974, the year after his graduation, he opened a live house (the Aketa No Mise jazz club) in Nishiogikubo to pursue his own direction in live performance. A diverse range of musicians, mainly jazz, but also rock and folk, began to perform there. It is said that 70% of Japanese jazz musicians have performed here, and many performers from outside of jazz, including Kiyoshiro Imawano, Fusanosuke Kondo, Yoshio Harada, Masato Tomobe, Panta, and Maki Asakawa. Aketagawa has performed solo, trio, session, and orchestral music with a wide variety of musicians, both free and modern. He has also performed as a duo with the Life Improvement Committee, Akira Sakata, and Ryojiro Furusawa, and has recently returned from solo performances in Africa and Europe. He has also performed with Maki Asakawa, Hiro...

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