Album Notes

She began her musical studies in classical piano and organ at age 3. She worked with Yamaha Corporation in Japan, while still attending The University of Arts where she obtained a MA in Musical Composition. She has arranged, composed and performed for various concerts and competitions in Japan, such as Big Band Concert for Japanese Ambassadors, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra and Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. Between 1996 and 2001, She produced and created new instructional materials and her own methods for composition and arrangement for the Big Band Orchestra for which she lectured a total of 400 instructors on this style at 12 locations. In addition she also worked with the Yamaha Asia division in Indonesia for instructors and musicians. In 1996 she taught and performed at 14 locations in Taiwan. Her skills were so outstanding that the Asahi Television Broadcasting Station hired her to perform Jazz on keyboard and sing for their public program in Japan. Furthermore, she worked as an organ player for the Righa Royal in Osaka Japan, and performed at more than 500 ceremonies at the Hotel. Seiko came to N.Y.C. in 2001 to expand her musical career. Since arriving she has composed and arranged for musicians and one of her recent works is a recording for the movie "Climbing Miss Sophia" with Percussionist Cafe which is set to open at the Cinema Festival in NYC. She initiated a music collaboration called The Brazilian Project which performed a fund raiser for AFRICA on Dec.2002 -2004 at The National Black Theater.

First and foremost, though, it is the writing and arranging of Seiko that makes the music on this date so remarkably rewarding to hear. Akita has successfully transferred the impressive harmonic palette and engaging musical devices she has employed in her large ensemble orchestrations to the small group, in a manner that makes this much more than an ordinary mainstream blowing date. Her ability to make the most out of each of the musician’s individual sounds is truly amazing, particularly McGinnis, whom she uses as a one man reed section to give incredible variety to the different tracks, but also Hermanson, whose doubling on flugelhorn and switching between open and muted horn adds subtly to the tonal multiplicity. Plaxico’s ability to play atypical bass lines, developed performing his own superb compositions, helps enhance the music’s harmonic sophistication and Ulysses’ variegated drumming gives the band extraordinary dynamic range. On the tracks on which he is present, Café’s percussion puts the icing on a very tasty cake.....

~Russ Musto
AllAboutJazz-New York