Keiko Komaki

Keiko Komaki personifies music. An accomplished pianist and B-3 player, Keiko Komaki hails from Kagoshima, Japan, and began playing the piano at just 5 years old. After graduation from Kunitachi College of Music, she quickly became more interested in the improvisation world playing funk, blues, and jazz fusion rather than her classical roots. However, it was a few years later where she learned of New Orleans music. She later visited New Orleans for Jazz Fest and decided to take the bold step in 2006 to move to the city and make it as a musician, despite opposition from her family.

Keiko has reached her goal of musical success in the city. Shortly after moving to New Orleans, she started to play with the Late Marva Wright and the Wild Magnolias as their keyboard player and started to perform at local clubs and tour with them till Marva passed away. Since then, she has played with many of the Crescent City's most beloved musicians including Benny Turner, Charlie Wooton, Vasti Jackson, Brass-a-holics, Marc Stone, George Porter Jr, Johnny Vidacovich, and many more.

How we met:

We met Keiko in New Orleans while working on the recording of A Better Place and she was introduced to us by Vasti Jackson. We immediately fell in love not only with her playing, but with her soul and joy, and she became part of the PFC Band in 2013.