A-K-I-
Jazz and Japanese Standards Vocalist

A fresh face on the Tokyo jazz scene is making her Saturday Night Live debut this week. A-K-I- (Aki Nakahara) has just released her first CD, "Chiisai Aki." A-K-I- may be diminutive, but there is nothing small about her voice or her musical ambitions. Her repertoire ranges from Hart and Rogers' "My Romance" to the Hendricks/Davis tune "Four" to such unusual Japanese numbers as Nakata's "A Piece of Fall" and the traditional "Usagi" -- both rendered into English by A-K-I- herself.

A-K-I- is bringing the entire instrumental backup that appears on her CD (which will be on sale), including the standard instruments of contemporary jazz -- guitar, bass, drums, percussion and flute -- PLUS shakuhachi.

It's a rare chance to catch a budding new singer at the FCCJ's Saturday Night Live.

Check out A-K-I's homepage at:
http://www.wix.com/tloveaki/days+of+jazz+and+music

The Entertainment Committee

Coming up!
Sep 5 The Anna Mackie Group, jazz standards
Sep 12 Natural Groove Inn, super funky acoustic groove
Sep 19 The Traveling Apple: Chiaki Sera (vocal), Kei Shibata (piano)
Sept. 26 Jonathan Katz and Rie Akagi, jazz piano and flute