Kei Kobayashi, a Japanese male jazz vocalist, was born on May 9, 1979, in Tokyo. He comes from a family with a rich musical heritage, with his grandfather Kazunori Murakami being a jazz steel guitar player, his father Hiroshi Kobayashi a jazz pianist and arranger, and his mother Kyoko Murakami a jazz vocalist.
Growing up in an environment where jazz was a constant presence, Kobayashi was inspired by a musical he saw at an amusement park when he was just three years old. This sparked a lifelong passion for jazz, which was further fueled by his exposure to Duke Ellington's music and a stage play based on his work.
By the time he was five years old, Kobayashi had declared his intention to one day become a performer on the musical stage. He began training in classical ballet at the age of five and went on to gain numerous stage experiences, eventually becoming a hot topic in the dance world.
As he entered his teenage years, Kobayashi became increasingly focused on jazz, performing at live houses in Tokyo and attracting attention from other jazz musicians. At the age of 16, he shared the stage with Herbie Hancock and other top artists at a charity concert for the victims of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
Kobayashi's first mini-album, "Let's Take the K Train ~17-Year-Old Jazz," was released when he was 17 years old, followed by his first full-length album, "18/P.S. I LOVE YOU," at the age of 18. He went on to release a string of successful albums throughout his twenties, including "My Romance" and "So Nice."
By the age of 25, Kobayashi had released 11 full-length albums, one maxi single, and a live DVD, and had become known nationwide as a "Genius Jazz Vocalist." He continued to release music at a prolific pace, transferring to Pony Canyon in 2010 and starting his own label, twinKle note.
In 2016, Kobayashi released "The Standard," a collection of frequently requested masterpieces, and followed it up with "The Standard II" in 2017. He celebrated his 25th anniversary in 2018 with a tour featuring the Katsura Kobayashi Quintet.
Today, Kobayashi continues to perform nationwide, mainly as a unit consisting of band members of the same generation as himself. As an evangelist of jazz standards, he is widely respected for his interpretations of classic songs and his vocal style, which blends scatting and improvisation with a deep understanding of the original material.
