Aki Takase, the Berlin-based pianist, is one of the great perso- nalities of modern jazz. Moments of freedom, form and humour characterize this stylistically versatile avant-gardist, the stubborn virtuoso who toys with jazz traditions.
In the year of her 70th birthday, Aki Takase was honoured with The Berlin Jazz Prize. Recorded over two days at the Sendesaal Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, the album includes some pieces captured live during the award ceremony, and some recorded in a studio setting in the same historic room. The piece Bach Factory features Alexander von Schlippenbach as a guest and the Japa- nese author Yoko Tawada appears on Hokahoka Hokosai.
Aki Takase is inspired by the Japanese painter Katsushika Hoku- sai. For Aki Takase, Hokusai was a hugely passionate and brilliant artist with an experimental mind who lived only with and for his paintings. “Hokusai showed so many directions in painting, which is why I wanted to convey various colours in improvisation. Music is like a colour. For me, red and light-blue are gentle colours. These were the colours that I felt. That’s my internal landscape. I feel a strong connection to Hokusai.”

Cover art: Hokusai
Graphic design: Jonas Schoder

Compositions by Aki Takase. All pieces are performed solo by Aki Takase except “Bach Factory” by Aki Takase and Alexander von Schlippenbach and “Hokahoka Hokusai” by Aki Takase and Yoko Tawada. Recorded June 26, 2018, live at Sendesaal Rundfunk Berlin-Bran- denburg and June 27, 2018, at Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. Radio producer: Ulf Drechsel. Sound supervisor: Maria Suschke. Recording engineer: Peter Schladebach. Digital cut and mastering: Ulrich Hieber. Produced and published by Intakt Records, Patrik Landolt, Anja Illmaier, Florian Keller. Intakt Records, P. O. Box 468, 8024 Zürich.