Keiko Matsui

Popular with both New Age and smooth jazz fans, keyboardist Keiko Matsui is one of the few Japanese jazz artists to make a significant impression on a mass American audience. All of her albums have sold exceptionally well in the U.S., particularly 2001's Deep Blue, which topped the contemporary jazz charts and also scored with pop audiences. Matsui's alternately dreamy and dramatic soundscapes touch upon Asian motifs, but European film soundtracks seem to be her heavier influence. She's married to Kazu Matsui, who has a rewarding New Age career of his own.