AKIKO YANO TRIO - tiny desk concerts JAPAN | NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Three legends of the music world come together on tiny desk concerts JAPAN! Akiko Yano made her striking solo debut with "JAPANESE GIRL" in 1976 and is celebrating the 50th anniversary of her solo career this year. Bassist Will Lee is a Grammy winner whose credits include recordings and live performances with artists ranging from Chaka Khan and Frank Sinatra to members of the Beatles and Sting. Drummer Chris Parker served as drummer on "Saturday Night Live" and has recorded and performed with artists including James Brown, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, and Eric Clapton. The three legends bring their world-class musical personalities together, first meeting head-on and then falling into sync to create a one-of-a-kind ensemble. And it all unfolds in the everyday setting of an office at NHK Shibuya. The five-song set spans the signature songs "Hitotsu Dake (ALL I WANT)" and "Ramen Tabetai (I WANT RAMEN)," along with "Umio to Lulia (UMIO AND LULIA)," "YOU ARE SPECIAL TO ME," and "THE RIVER" from her 50th anniversary album. Together, the songs reflect the musical journey of Akiko Yano, an artist who has maintained a singular presence in Japan and around the world for decades and continues to evolve to this day. As always, the program presents the performance without amplification, preserving the natural sound of the artists' voices and instruments. The texture of Akiko Yano's voice and piano touch, Will Lee's bass, and Chris Parker's drums — every note seems to rise up in front of you in this intimate performance. There is no glittering stage, only the unadorned setting of an office; no overwhelming volume, only the musicians' natural sound. In this stripped-back setting, Akiko Yano's extraordinary expressive power and her subtle interplay with two of the world's finest players, Will Lee and Chris Parker, can be experienced at exceptionally close range.

Since debuting with her solo album "JAPANESE GIRL" in 1976, Akiko Yano has pursued a wide range of musical activities, including performing with YMO and collaborating across genres. Her projects include "yanokami" with rei harakami, "Yamori" with Moriyama Ryoko, as well as collaborations with Agatsuma Hiromitsu, Ishikawa Sayuri, Uehara Hiromi, and YUKI. In 2025, her annual winter tradition, the "Akiko Yano Satogaeru Concert," marked its 30th edition. The six-city tour concluded with a sold-out show at NHK Hall in Tokyo. In July 2026, she celebrated the 50th anniversary of her solo debut with the release of the album To the Living Creatures.

Will Lee is a Grammy Award-winning bassist best known for spending more than three decades on Late Show with David Letterman, making him the longest-running bassist in late-night television history. He has contributed to over 2,000 recordings across pop, jazz, rock, reggae, and gospel, working with artists such as Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, and Pat Metheny. Lee performed at Live Aid, regularly plays at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies, and has collaborated with Sting, Miles Davis, and all four Beatles. A Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, he is also a solo artist, producer, and musical director.

Born in Chicago, Chris was playing drums at age three and began performing his first professional gigs at eleven. At nineteen, Parker began recording and touring with blues great Paul Butterfield and then broke into the New York studio scene in 1970, doing records, movie scores and filling the drum chair at Saturday Night Live. Chris Parker is a co-founder of the Brecker Brothers band and has recorded and/or performed live with James Brown, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Ashford and Simpson, Patti Austin, Cher, Michael Bolton, Quincy Jones, Freddie Hubbard and Salt n' Pepa, Eric Clapton, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Aaron Neville/Linda Ronstadt, Quincy Jones, Bryan Ferry, Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles and Dolly Parton, among others. Parker currently leads his Quartet, recently releasing, "Heart of Mine," the Chris Parker Quartet.