A star in the making has emerged in the jazz world. Pianist Mahiru Coda, 17, nicknamed Mappy, is also gaining attention for her fashion sense. She started posting photos on Instagram five years ago and is said to be an active user of the service, but her tastes in jazz reflect another side of the young musician: She adores Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, brilliant pianists from the 1950s and '60s.
Her debut album, which is called "Plankton," features Coda performing in a trio with a bassist and drummer, and showcases the musical ability, aesthetic sense and passion of the budding talent.
Her career so far can be described as that of a 17-year-old girl active as a model who is debuting as a jazz pianist. Hearing this may make some people think that the adults around her have made her into a gimmick to create a sensation.
It's true that Coda is still honing her skills as a musician. But on "Plankton," which was released by Sony Music Direct Inc. on May 23 -- the day before her 17th birthday -- she has recorded challenging, high-tempo numbers that require difficult techniques, such as Powell's "Un Poco Loco" and "Tempus Fugit."
Listening to her play on the album makes listeners understand that she has steadily studied legendary jazz musicians. The album also has a hint of hip-hop, a genre that Coda says she became interested in over the past year.
Playing alongside Coda in the trio on "Plankton" are drummer Shun Ishiwaka and bassist Kazuki Arai. Ishiwaka is capable of playing different genres of music, from jazz to classical and pop, and much is expected of him as a member of the new wave of musicians. Arai is a member of King Gnu, a budding four-member band.
The album includes other Powell standards such as "Cleopatra's Dream" and "Celia," while two of the tracks are Coda's original compositions, "Plankton" and "My Crush."
The trio discusses some of the stories and anecdotes from the process of recording "Plankton" in the book "Harlem" published by DU Books. The book also includes photos of Coda in New York and a profile, detailing everything from her fashion sense to her personality. In the photos, Coda did her own makeup and all the clothes she wears are her own. Information about jazz and its "rules," and Coda's recommended tracks and albums can also be found in the book.
Above all, Coda objectively recognizes her own skill level and present standing. She also firmly considers current situations and the future of jazz, and her remarks in the interview should convince people that Coda is not merely an idol who has been elevated to stardom just because of her looks or popularity.
"Though jazz is a free type of music, only through steady practice can one do something freely. While sense and momentum are important, it's also important to study theory. I want to do such things very carefully."
She added, "Also, I tend to be attracted to things that are easy to understand. Among musicians in Japan, I love The Blue Hearts [a punk rock band from the 1980s to '90s]. To impress listeners, it doesn't matter whether a musician is skillful or not. I don't think that the more difficult a song is to play, the better it is. After all, what determines the value of jazz is not technique."
Maiden voyage
Coda began playing the piano at age 5. She attended lessons of the Yamaha Music School chain, where not only classical music but also popular music is taught. Coda became fond of the works of modern composers with jazz influences, such as George Gershwin and Nikolai Kapustin.
When she was about 8 years old, Coda felt the shock of listening to Powell and Monk. Her mother rented a jazz series for her from a library and only the works of these two deeply impressed Coda.
"In those years, I think I felt they created sounds that were different from anyone else," she said. "For ages, I've been attracted to things that are not too beautiful, but a little strange. So I like listening to things like the sound of poor recordings or the noises musicians make while playing."
While studying the two musicians, she also became interested in factors other than music, such as Powell's self-destructive lifestyle and Monk's fashion sense.
"I yearn for their styles. They revealed everything so openly about their private lives, which is directly reflected in how their music sounds," she said. "Because I like fashion as much as music, I became fond of Monk's way of wearing suits, which I saw on YouTube, and his looks with big, extravagant rings and hats."
Since that time, Coda has had the dream of becoming a jazz pianist in the future and learned English to go to New York. On the other hand, Coda was a precocious young girl when it came to fashion -- she had her ears pierced when she was a fourth grader in elementary school and first dyed her hair when she was a sixth grader.
Due to the influence of her older acquaintances, such as friends of her brother who is 9 years older, Coda began using Instagram when she was a sixth grader, posting images of herself wearing various fashion items.
"Instagram was not popular at the time. I didn't have the thought that social networking sites could be risky, so I posted photos of myself as an extension of my personal journal," she said.
Operators of a fashion website who saw her photos on Instagram asked Coda to be photographed by them. It's how she became involved in the fashion world, but dressing-up is no more than a personal hobby for Coda and her desire to become a pianist never wavered. About two years ago, an opportunity opened up through fashion events, however, where she could show off her piano playing.
Coda hopes that young people will more easily enjoy listening to jazz and understanding that jazz is a stylish form of music. In this context, she aims to make music and fashion compatible.
"Because live performances are the real pleasure of jazz, looking stylish makes the audience feel even more joyful. Of course, I still need to work hard and improve my ability," Coda said.
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