akibajz

Description:

Screen Name:

akibajz

Sex:

M

Age:

40

Studio Musician:

Yes

Level Of Commitment:

Committed

Years Playing Music:

30

Gigs Played:

Over 100

Tend to Practice:

2-3 times per week

Available to Gig:

4-5 time(s) per week

Most available:

Nights

Both a classically-trained and self-taught musician, Bruce utilizes his own uniquely-creative techniques in spatial sound design to enrich the music performed on a one or two instruments without relying on a messy stage filled with miles of wire, Yanni-esque stacks of keyboards, or for that matter, other musicians. It's not uncommon to close your eyes and at times to hear more than one musician performing alongside Bruce's solo piano as if an invisible orchestra had appeared on-cue to play, an accomplishment achieved without pre-recording a single note.

One of the handful of contemporary instrumental composers getting out of their shell to perform live for audiences, he's not well-known around town as his contemporaries (like John Tesh or Enya) and his Grammy acceptance speech for "best new artist" is way too premature to begin writing, but his accomplishments are noteworthy - he's already released two albums, has garnered over 200,000 airplays on international FM and web-based radio stations (not bad for an independent solo act), recorded with a multi-Grammy award-winning producer and numerous other artists around the country as a session player, and shared the concert stage with some rather well-known (easily recognizable) music industry people.

His expressive concerts are filled with atmospheric and ethereal soundscapes structured on vibrant classical impressionism, all performed with a penchant for the dramatic, whether the music be represented via bare-bones minimalism or with textured symphonic complexity. He writes most of his own material, based off his varied musical influences including classical composers Mozart, Bach and Handel; international keyboard phenomenons Mars Lasar, Kitaro, Enya, Suzanne Ciani, Isao Tomita, Wendy Carlos and Yanni; and the "four Davids" of modern piano: Benoit, Lanz, Arkenstone, and Grusin. When he's not performing solo in Vegas and LA coffeehouses, he's in Southern California playing with the always unforgettable 6'9" tall sax/flute player Viktor Wise in the band AKIBA, and when he's home, he's composing for his next album release.

On the nights he performs, you might not be inclined to pay much attention to that nondescript piano player under the lights in the corner of your favorite coffeehouse. Admittedly, he won't talk much or chat it up with the audience for as he says "my mouth already gets me into too much trouble". All he does is play, whether it be the contemporary instrumental music (a.k.a. new-age) or an entirely new spin on the techno-rock genre.

So.... take a listen, kick-back... and close your eyes.

Influences:

(not in any order) Rush, Midge Ure, Victor Feldman, Enigma, Isao Tomita, Rush, Mars Lasar, David Benoit, Sting, Yanni, Enya, Richard Burmer, Patrick O'Hearn, Kitaro, Suzanne Ciani, Dave Grusin, Mort Garson, John Tesh, Chip Davis, Boston, Thomas Dolby, Alan Lindgren, Tom Hensley, David Lanz.

Equipment List:

primary instruments: digital piano, keytar, synthesizers, samplers, acoustic and electric rhythm guitar

Audio/Video Downloads

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