Early life Akiko Yano was born Akiko Suzuki in
Tokyo in 1955. She grew up in
Aomori, Japan, and learned to play the piano when she was three. She also performed with the band
Tin Pan Alley.
Solo career Yano's debut album,
Japanese Girl, was released on July 25, 1976, The album was recorded in Los Angeles with
Little Feat, and of the album's ten tracks, she wrote nine of them. The success led to her self-producing the second album,
Iroha Ni Konpeitou, which was released in 1977. Around this time, Yano started collaborating with
Yellow Magic Orchestra and joined them on two world tours. The album was also one of the earliest CDs ever released in 1982. 1981's
Tadaima ("I'm Home") has become one of the most beloved of Yano's discography, and also one of her personal favorites. but was only released in Japan. The album's single "Harusaki Kobeni" was released before the album was recorded, and reached the top 40 chart after being used in cosmetics commercials. Yano was introduced to British band,
Japan, by Ryuichi Sakamoto of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and in 1982 they met at the
AIR Studios in London to record an album,
Ai Ga Nakucha Ne ("There Must Be Love"). The record company, Japan Record, released the album as a set with a book of photography and at a lower price, as requested by Yano. After her 1984 album
Oh Hisse, Oh Hisse, Yano took a one-year break from recording music to raise her children, and decided to refocus her career on jazz, which led to the 1989 album
Welcome Back featuring
Pat Metheny,
Charlie Haden and
Peter Erskine. (as well as performing a minor role as Fujihara-sensei) and created and performed the sound effects using only her voice for two short films
Yadosagashi and
Mizugumo Monmon by animation director
Hayao Miyazaki. Both films were shown at the
Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo. More recently in 2008, Yano performed as a voiceover actress on
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea as Ponyo's sisters. In addition, Yano composed music for Toei's animated feature, ''
Atashin'chi and piano-based soundtrack for the film Tagatameni''. As an international artist, Yano has toured Europe extensively, performing at
The Montreux Jazz Festival,
Café de la Danse, and
Cité de la Musique in Paris. In 2002, she also performed a week of special concerts at
Pizza Express in London. In the United States, Yano has performed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston and New York City where she periodically plays concerts throughout the year at ''
Joe's Pub'' at the
New York Public Theater. In July 2009, she performed at the
North Sea Jazz Festival along with fellow pianist
Hiromi Uehara. In recent years she has appeared at the
Blue Note in New York as a guest performer for
Janis Siegel of
The Manhattan Transfer, and as part of a trio with
Anthony Jackson on bass and
Cliff Almond on drums in concerts at the
Blue Note Tokyo since 2003. In 2008, New York guitarist
Marc Ribot joined Yano for sold-out shows at the
Blue Note Tokyo. Yano joined with
Rei Harakami to create the duo
Yanokami, and in 2007 they released their first studio album
Yanokami. In 2009,
Will Lee and
Chris Parker joined her to form the Akiko Yano Trio. ==Discography==