Keisuke Kishi is a versatile drummer and composer born in Hiroshima, Japan. He began learning drums at the age of seven and discovered jazz at 20, drawing inspiration from legendary drummers like Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, and Art Blakey. Keisuke studied under Rikiya Higashihara, one of Japan’s top professional drummers, and began his professional career in Osaka in 2009.
Currently based in the US, Keisuke has performed at renowned venues across the globe, including Capitol Modern (Hawaii State Museum) and Williamsburg Music Center in Brooklyn, New York. In Osaka, he played at prestigious venues such as Mister Kelly’s, Royal Horse, and Tower Records Japan. As a solo performer, he also graced the stage at Billboard Osaka and participated annually in the Takatsuki Jazz Festival.
In 2016, he learned traditional Gogo music from Julius Zawose, the son of the legendary Tanzanian Gogo musician Hukwe Zawose, and later collaborated with Msafiri Zawose, Hukwe’s son, on his album Elsewhere (2021).
In March 2021, Keisuke released his debut album Elsewhere, recorded in New York with Ben Paterson, Rod Williams, Nori Naraoka, Jun Sugiura, Msafiri Zawose, Masaharu Shimizu, Calvin Johnson, and Eishin Nose. The album was featured in Hawaii’s online magazine Lani Lani Music as well as in the Japanese jazz magazine Jazz Japan, garnering significant attention.
On February 15, 2024, Keisuke released his second album Midpoint Cafe, inspired by a road trip through Texas, Arizona, and Utah. The album, created in collaboration with Nori Naraoka, Andrew McGowan, Calvin Johnson, and Jun Sugiura, was featured in the Japanese jazz magazine Jaz.in.
Both albums are available on major streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.
