Keiko Matsui - Full Moon and the Shrine (1998)

Keiko Matsui, nacida en Tokio como Keiko Doi el 26 de julio de 1961, es una compositora y tecladista japonesa en el género smooth jazz/new age. Su carrera abarca tres décadas, durante las cuales ha editado veinte CD y varias compilaciones, siendo reconocida internacionalmente.
Keiko y su esposo, Kazu Matsui tienen dos hijas, Maya  y Mako.
Wikipedia.

On her public Television special, "Keiko Matsui: Light Above The Trees," Keiko opens saying "Music is like prayer. That's why I'm here." The "here" she is referring to is the Itsukushima Shrine in Japan. Near Hiroshima, it has been a spiritual place for Japanese people for more than 1200 years. It is an appropriate locale, given the spiritual way in which she approaches music. Her new album is entitled "Full Moon and the Shrine." Keiko says the origin of the album and television special are based on a song of the same name. "The tune 'Full Moon and the Shrine' was composed for our Public TV special. The opening scene was shot in Japan at the Shinto shrine which stands half in the ocean. We chose the day of shooting at the highest ocean tide on the night of a full moon. The album project was started with this tune so that we carried over the spiritual air from this shrine into other songs. It was not so intentional, but carrying over the qualities of native spirits of Japan may have become the theme for the album. It is almost like air, and might not be so obvious musically. There are many different music styles in the album, including some R&B. But it was not difficult to have the spiritual air from the shrine into even R&B tunes. Music is one form of prayer anyway. That is where all music originally belongs. The differences of cultural backgrounds has never been a problem in our music making." 
http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Artists1/Matsui.html">http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Artists1/Matsui.html




Keiko Matsui (piano, keyboards)
Molly Pasutti (vocals)
Kazu Matsui (shakuhachi)
Paul Taylor (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone)
Derek Nakamoto (keyboards, synthesizer, drum programming)
Bernie Dresel (drums, percussion)
Abraham Laboriel, John Pattitucci, Marcus Miller (Bass, Bass Samples)

1. Night Hawk's Dream
2. Steps In The Night
3. Bonfire In The Piano
4. Southern Crossings
5. Legend Of The Trees
6. Full Moon & The Shrine
7. Spirit At The Corner
8. Toward The Sunrise
9. Forever, Forever
10. Meadow