Yuta Kaneko – Mini Interview

1. Where are you from and how did you first start playing keyboards?

I was born in Tokyo and grew up mainly in Kanagawa Prefecture. When I was little, we had a foot-pump reed organ at home. I often played with it and that was the beginning. After that I started learning the organ at JVC and Yamaha music school from second grade. Also, there was a time when I attended church influenced by my parents, and I had to play the organ there.  I then came across a Hammond organ and I really got into it.

2. How did you first get into Jazz?

Among the teachers whom I took the lessons from, there were a couple of people who were leaning towards Jazz.  Later, while I was studying Jazz by myself and playing in jam sessions in the USA it became clear that Jazz was something I couldn’t live without.

3. How did Aquapit start?

After a little less than a year of having jam sessions in various parts of the United States, I started Aquapit to make something unique as a Japanese musician. Originally we organized the rhythm section with organ, bass, and drums as a basic unit. We had various guests as a lead such as wind instruments and singers, gospel groups, DJs and dancers. The experience from that time period really helped our career later on.

4. What is the new album about?

This time, we aimed at dance music which is the origin of jazz. In Aquapit, we want to keep the old image of jazz as the accompaniment of dance rather than the main music that people come to appreciate.

 5. Your three favorite albums?

・Life on planet groove by Maceo Parker・Too damn hot by Doctor Lonnie Smith
・Power House by Chester Thompson

Read more about Aquapit below, their new album Dance The Ancients is available on T5 Jazz Records. They will be performing live at Motion Blue in Yokohama on April 11th.

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