Collection is a rather unusual CD sampler in that the dozen selections by keyboardist Keiko Matsui are drawn from just two releases: Northern Lights and No Borders. As it turned out, those were Matsui's only MCA sets, and they led to her becoming a major star in the pop/jazz world. The musicianship is excellent on this CD, and the electronics have not dated too much. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

CD $11.38

One of the spiritual minded, jazz meets mystical keyboardist's best early efforts, helping her bridge from pure Eastern tinged new age music into gently funky smooth jazz. With styles ranging from R&B (the Eric Marienthal punched "Light in the Rain") and fusion, to Medieval Folk music ("In the Mist," "Three Silhouettes"), and her trademark new age ("The Wind and the Wolf"), there are certainly no borders on this collection. Matsui's sense of melody keeps on growing, her improvisational sol   [ read more ]

CD $11.38

The spiritual and charitable-minded Japanese keyboardist, who blends ethereal new age textures with a rich soul-jazz sensibility better than anyone, is in top form on her 14th studio release. Like its recent predecessors on Narada Jazz, the CD features songs that are all about the landscape between subtlety and drama, elegant piano melodies and improvisations, dramatic flute and sax harmonies, and rich ambiences dense with percussion. Tying in perfectly with her current humanitarian work with Un   [ read more ]

CD $17.08

Keiko Matsui's last album, 2000s Whisper From the Mirror, was picked up and reissued by the Narada label in 2001, and Narada is also releasing her 12th album, Deep Blue. It's an appropriate match-up for the Japanese pianist, since Narada is known primarily as a new age label, and, though her records are being released on its Narada Jazz imprint, "new age" is actually the best category to place her in. From the start of her career, Matsui has been shelved under "jazz," but th   [ read more ]

CD $16.13

Matsui's major label debut combines everything from chamber like organ effects ("The Ruins of Sonora") to punchy sax driven pop ("Mountain Shakedown") to orchestral film score sweeps ("The Gate") in expanding her palette further beyond Eastern sounds. Poetic, image laden pieces dominate, but her chops as a keyboardist are tested on more exotic solos. It's another all star affair, with Eric Marienthal, Brandon Fields, Robben Ford, Abe Laboriel, Paul Jackson, Jr. and {$Grant Geissma   [ read more ]

CD $11.38

CD $46.53

CD $41.78

If we're talking Keiko Matsui, we can expect another impressionistic album cover which belies the often explosive music on the disc. Matsui draws a little more from her heritage this time but textures it with soulful excursions ("Walking on the Bridge"). She once again gives radio a seductive earful while continuing her heightened exploration into more challenging orchestral sounds and several impressive, wildly percussive Latin journeys (e.g. "Sail South"). Making perfect use of Lenny Castro   [ read more ]

CD $41.78

CD $11.38

CD $11.39

This pop-jazz recording by Japanese pianist/keyboardist Keiko Matsui is actually better than many comparable contemporary jazz recordings. The melodies are catchy and charming but rather low-key, most of the pieces are quite atmospheric ("1942, From Russia" sounds like a piece from a Hollywood epic), and several unusual moods (for pop-jazz, that is) are explored. Matsui's piano playing is interesting and adds further substance to the music. The other musicians include various session playe   [ read more ]

CD $8.54

CD $39.88