Sapphire is the seventh studio album of jazz keyboardist Keiko Matsui, released in 1995 on White Cat Records. This album peaked at No. 9 on the US Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.
Critical reception
AllMusic gave the album a 4/5-star rating.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians Keiko Matsui – acoustic piano, keyboards, arrangements (4, 7) Derek Nakamoto – keyboards (1-3, 5, 6, 8-10), synthesizers (1-3, 5, 6, 8-10), bass (1-3, 5, 6, 8-10), Logic sequencing (1-3, 5, 6, 8-10), drum programming (1-3, 5, 6, 8-10), rhythm loops (1-3, 5, 6, 8-10), arrangements (1-3, 5, 6, 8-10) Rob Mullins – synthesizers (4, 7), drum programming (4, 7), arrangements (4, 7) Marcus Miller – bass samples (1) John Patitucci – bass samples (2, 8-10) Abraham Laboriel – bass samples (3, 6) Akira Jimbo – drum loops (2, 9) Lenny Castro – percussion (2, 4, 5, 7, 8) Michael Fisher – percussion (3, 6, 9) Marco Dydo – percussion loops (8, 10) Paul Taylor – soprano saxophone (1-3, 7-10) Kazu Matsui – shakuhachi (5) Valerie Carter – lead vocals (4) Karla Bonoff – lead vocals (7)
Production Kazu Matsui – producer Rob Mullins – recording Derek Nakamoto – recording Joel Stoner – recording, mixing Steve Hall – mastering at Future Disc (Hollywood, California) Morbido / Bizarrio (Venice, California) – creative direction, design, digital imaging Julie Dennis – photography Tena Bernard – hair, make-up Chaim Magnum – wardrobe stylist Robert L. Tauro – representation
References