Naoko Sakata: Piano Improvisations Between Jazz and Experimentation

Japanese pianist Naoko Sakata, born in Nara in 1983 and based in Sweden, has released two solo piano albums: Inner Planets (2020) on Footprint Records and Dancing Spirits (2021) on Pomperipossa Records. The latter was recorded over two days by Filip Leyman at Annedalskyrkan church in Gothenburg on a Steinway grand piano, featuring seven free improvisations. Sakata began playing piano at age three, imitating music by ear, and later studied at the University of Theatre and Music in Gothenburg, influenced by Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson. Her style blends jazz with experimental and avant-garde approaches. Pomperipossa Records, led by musician and organist Anna Von Hausswolff, focuses on avant-garde, experimental, drone, and ambient music. Sakata has performed at Uppsala Konstmuseum, Malmö Konstmuseum (Intonal Festival), and recently at Munchmuseet in Oslo (All Ears Festival). Her work has been praised by BBC6, which described her improvisations as "spells of an instinctive, feminine, and wild spirit." She is currently working on a new solo piano album of improvisations due this year.