Daisuke Kawai — The Hammond Organist Who Turns Sessions into Soul
From the very start of his career, Daisuke Kawai chose a path few musicians would dare to take—he entered the professional studio scene not as a pianist or keyboardist, but as a dedicated Hammond organist.
In an era defined by digital convenience, Kawai remained faithful to the warmth, imperfection, and living energy of the Hammond B-3.
“I never saw the Hammond as something nostalgic,” he says. “It’s alive—it reacts, it breathes, and if you play it right, it talks back.”
During his early years, Kawai became one of Japan’s most trusted recording players, contributing his distinctive Hammond sound to sessions with leading artists across genres.
But by the late 1990s, his focus shifted fully toward jazz performance, where he found his truest voice. Since then, he has established himself as one of Japan’s foremost jazz organists, appearing at major festivals, clubs, and recordings that bridge the rich traditions of American soul-jazz with his own lyrical expression.
Kawai has shared the stage and studio with world-class musicians including Kazumi Watanabe, Tommy Campbell, Tony Monaco, and Lew Tabackin.
At the same time, he has played a key behind-the-scenes role for nearly three decades as a consultant for Hammond Suzuki (now Suzuki Musical Instruments Mfg. Co., Ltd.), assisting in the development of Hammond and Leslie products.
Using his own vintage Hammond organs and Leslie speakers for evaluation and voicing, he helps preserve the authentic tone that has inspired generations of players.
Among his greatest influences, Jimmy Smith remains central. As a young musician, Kawai devoted himself to studying Smith’s phrasing and timing. Later, when Smith visited Japan, he invited Kawai to his concerts and personally encouraged him—an encounter that Kawai calls “life-changing.”
He also draws inspiration from the great lineage of organ masters — Jack McDuff, Richard “Groove” Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, Charles Earland, and Joey DeFrancesco — channeling their spirit into his own forward-looking sound.
Whether in the studio, on stage, or in the workshop, Daisuke Kawai continues to carry the Hammond organ’s legacy forward — not as nostalgia, but as a living, breathing voice of jazz and soul.
