Pixel

Full of inventiveness and a sense of adventure...
Stephen Scott

Over his 20 years as a jazz pianist, Keigo Hirakawa has transformed himself into an artist with vision and a unique sense of expression. Born in Japan and raised in Ohio, he was trained in New York, Boston, and Princeton under the mentorship of Danilo Perez, Cecil McBee, Anthony Branker and several others. His other career, as a professor of electrical & computer engineering, brought him back to Ohio where he's also found inspiration in the region's rich musical scene. His eight highly crafted compositions come to life under the hands of the musicians who inspired them - the dynamic Detroit-based rhythm duo of drummer Alex White and master bassist Bob Hurst, along with Cincinnati's Brandon Scott Coleman on guitar and Detroit reed master Rafael Statin.

Production Info:

Produced by Brandon Scott Coleman
Recorded August 8-9, 2022 by Geoff Michael
Assistant Engineer: Josef Deas
at Big Sky Recording, Ann Arbor, MI
Mixed by Brandon Scott Coleman at Golden Mean Studio
Mastered by Nate Wood at Kerseboom Mastering
Liner Notes by Gene Jackson
Front cover photo by Shon Curtis
Cover design & layout by John Bishop

Reviews of Pixel

Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Sophisticated, intricate and complex music is written by pianist Keigo Hirakwawa and performed y his team of Rafael Statin/sax-flpbcl, Brandon Scott Coleman/g, Robert Hurst/b and Alex White/dr. The songs demand various shapes and sizes, with "Yaw Pitch Roll" a snappy trio work in the concept of advanced Herbie Hancock, while the title track has Sta ...

Yahoo! (Japan) (Eichi Tomizawa)
Keigo Hirakawa is a jazz pianist living in Dayton, Ohio. This work will be his third work as a leader. About the album "PIXEL" This is an eight-song straight-ahead jazz album recorded in August 2022 at a studio in Michigan, USA. The band consists of five members: Keigo Hirakawa (piano), Raphael Statin (wind instrument), Scott Coleman (guitar ...

All About Jazz (Neil Duggan)
Science and jazz do not come up too often in the same conversation. Even more unlikely is that spatio-spectral colour filter array design will feature. Unless you happen to be talking with the Ivy League-educated researcher and professor at the University of Dayton, Ohio, Keigo Hirakawa. His work in image processing is part of a major research init ...

My Secret Room (Japan) (Suzuck)
Keigo Hirakawa is an Ohio-based pianist, composer, and doctor of engineering. This album is science and jazz, I was told by an acquaintance who has connections in the United States. Instead of traveling from Japan to the US for recording and playing with local players, this album was made possible by his career as a jazz pianist in the US for m ...

CD Journal (Japan) (Editor)
Jazz pianist Keigo Hirakawa, currently residing in Dayton in America, will release his new album "Pixel" on June 16th. The recording took place in August 2022 at Big Sky Recordings in Ann Arbor, Michigan, featuring Hirakawa (piano) along with a quintet lineup consisting of Rafael Statin (sax), Brandon Scott Coleman (guitar), Robert Hurst (bass), an ...

Jazz Japan (Editor)
This is Keigo Hirakawa's third album, where he works as a university professor in the American Midwest while also pursuing his career as a jazz pianist. The album features thrilling and melodic originals, with guest appearances from Detroit's Bob Hurst on bass and Cincinnati's Brandon Scott Coleman on guitar. The richness of America's local jazz sc ...

Jazz Life (Japan) (Kazune Hayata)
During his early childhood, Keigo Hirakawa moved to the United States with his parents and obtained a doctorate in engineering. At the same time, he studied under renowned musicians such as Danilo Perez and Stephen Scott at the New England Conservatory of Music. Over the years, he has collaborated with numerous artists, including Donald Byrd and Jo ...

Jazz Critique Magazine (Japan) (Suzuck)
Keigo Hirakawa is a pianist, composer, and a holder of a doctorate in engineering, currently residing in Ohio. With over 20 years of experience as a jazz pianist in the United States, he is a highly skilled individual with two challenging careers. His latest work features Detroit-based musicians, including modern bass virtuoso Robert Hurst, multi-i ...

All About Jazz (Jack Bowers)
Pixel, Tokyo-born, Ohio-bred pianist Keigo Hirakawa's third album as leader or co-leader of his own ensemble, has the sleek, laid-back feel of a well-engineered jam session as Hirakawa leads the way through seven of his generally engaging compositions (and one by guitarist Brandon Scott Coleman) with reliable backing from his supporting cast. Be ...

Notes on the Beat (D.W. Long)
A pixel. The smallest addressable unit that can be manipulated by software. It's apt – and slightly ironic – that a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who is also a vastly talented pianist, would choose the word for the title of his latest quintet release. The irony is two-fold: First, for most part, this is an acoustic project. ...

Jazz to Audio (Japan) (Oza)
Keigo Hirakawa is a pianist residing in Dayton, Ohio, with the title of a Ph.D. in engineering, it seems. Another album that resonates with me? It wasn't on my radar, but I'm enjoying listening to it thanks to a recommendation. By the way, it appears to be his third leader album. The lineup consists of a quintet with guitar and saxophone. I chec ...

Take Effect (Tom Haugen)
The pianist Keigo Hirakawa has a lot of experience in the area of playing jazz music, and these lively 8 tracks welcome Rafael Statin, Brandon Scott Coleman, Robert Hurst, and Alex White. The title track opens the listen with Hirakawa's meticulous key progressions alongside Statin's soulful sax and White's stunning drum acrobatics, and "Far Abov ...