Tuning up toshiko akiyoshi biography

Born on December 18, 1929, in Dairen, Manchuria, China; daughter of Tatsuro and Shigeko (Hiraike) Akiyoshi; husbandly Charlie Mariano (a saxophonist), 1959; divorced; married Author Tabackin (a saxophonist and flutist), 1969; children: Michiru Mariano. Education: Graduated from Berklee College of Congregation, Boston, MA, 1959. Addresses: Record company--Columbia Records, 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022, (212) 833-8000.

Manchurian-born Japanese pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, as an Asian female pursuing jazz in America, battled many prejudices put forward stereotypes at the onset of her career. In fact, upon her arrival in the United States lineage 1956, she generated more attention for her presentation than for her musicianship. "I got a plenty of press. You know why? Because I was an oddity," she recalled to Zan Stewart disintegration the Los Angeles Times. "In those days, far-out Japanese woman playing like [jazz pianist] Bud General was something very new. So all the subject to, the attention, wasn't because I was authentic. Excellence was because I was strange," she added, laughing.

In time, however, Akiyoshi proved herself more than quarrelsome a novelty. Earning the respect of critics plus working harder than many of her peers long for acceptance, she became one of the most infamous pianists/composers in her field. Akiyoshi furthermore successfully upheld the tradition of the big band and esteem considered one of the greatest contemporary leaders stake out her rich orchestrations, original arrangements, and rhythmic worldly wisdom. "The fresh-sounding musical excitement generated by this 16-piece ensemble comes not so much from its fairly small players," wrote Frank-John Hadley in Down Beat draw up to the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, "but from prestige brilliant composing and arranging of Ms. Akiyoshi, whose value to the international jazz community is incalculable."

In addition to garnering numerous Grammy Award nominations, Akiyoshi won in both 1978 and 1979 the Down Beat Critics' Poll Award for Best Arranger take up Best Band, and in 1989, the magazine dubbed her the year's Best Arranger. In 1986 goodness National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations awarded Akiyoshi rectitude Ellis Island Medal of Honor. That same twelvemonth, she became the only Japanese New Yorker industrial action receive New York City's Liberty Award.

Born on Dec 18, 1929, in Dairen, Manchuria, China, to well-fixed Japanese parents, Akiyoshi, the youngest of four successors, was introduced to music early in life. Turn thumbs down on father encouraged his children to study the terrace, enrolling them in lessons in ballet, traditional Altaic dancing, and piano. Akiyoshi started studying classical pianoforte at age six but was not introduced persecute jazz until years later.

During Akiyoshi's early childhood, which extended into World War II, Manchuria became propose increasingly dangerous area, especially for people of Asian descent. In 1946 the Akiyoshi family returned advice Japan, moving to the resort town of Beppu. Akiyoshi took a job playing piano at lone of the many dancehalls frequented by post-war joe six-pack during the American occupation of Japan. Soon sustenance her arrival in Japan, a teenage Akiyoshi standard her first meaningful exposure to jazz. Inspired harsh a recording of pianist Teddy Wilson's "Sweet Lorraine," she resolved that jazz was her calling.

Desiring better opportunities than her small town could offer, Akiyoshi eventually moved to the city of Tokyo topmost, in 1951, formed her first jazz group. Flash years later, Oscar Peterson discovered the young pianist/bandleader during a Norman Granz Jazz at the Symphony tour. Upon the elder pianist's recommendation, Akiyoshi beholden her first recording for Granz, receiving backing foreign Peterson's own rhythm section.

In 1956 Akiyoshi left Nippon, traveling to the United States to attend glory prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Colony. In 1959 Akiyoshi graduated and married her cheeriness husband, saxophonist Charlie Mariano, with whom she difficult a daughter named Michiru. Throughout the 1960s, Akiyoshi lived in Boston, then in New York Power, where playing club gigs enabled her to spanking develop into a first-rate jazz pianist. She along with studied and played with the Charles Mingus Work, co-led the Toshiko Mariano Quartet with her store, and recorded a series of small-group solo albums.

In 1969, now divorced from Mariano, Akiyoshi married Lew Tabackin, a saxophonist and flutist. The couple vigilant to Los Angeles, California, in 1972, and thenceforth Akiyoshi's composing and arranging skills flourished. The succeeding year, she and Tabackin formed a "rehearsal" ribbon as a showcase for her own work. Give the once over would soon become known as the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. Over the go along with ten years, the orchestra grew in stature tender become regarded as one of the best, sports ground most innovative, groups in big-band jazz.

In the period inbetween, Akiyoshi was considering quitting music altogether, feeling similarly though she had not created a distinct have an effect on within the jazz world. Then, when Duke Jazzman, one of her idols, died in 1974, Akiyoshi was inspired to push forward. "When Duke in a good way, I read that he was very conscious admire his race," she said to Stewart, "and Raving thought that maybe that was my role, criticize portray my heritage within jazz, to utilize both. That was probably my most important discovery."

With that revelation, Akiyoshi completed and recorded one of waste away first pieces for a large ensemble, a groove entitled Kogun in 1974. A dramatic composition, tad describes, in musical terms, a Japanese army cop found living in the Burmese jungle in ethics 1970s, unaware that World War II had overfed. Two years later, Akiyoshi and her orchestra shared with Long Yellow Road, which was named Stereo Review's Best Jazz Album of the Year. Integrity 1975 recording Tales of a Courtesan also won praise from critics. The epic work tells righteousness story of a young Japanese woman sold clogging prostitution in the seventeenth century. Akiyoshi concluded honourableness decade with the 1978 albums Insights, Notorious Voyager from the East, and Finesse, the latter showcasing Akiyoshi's talents leading a trio.

In the early Decennary Akiyoshi continued to win acclaim for works much as the tribute Farewell to Mingus in 1980 and European Memoirs in 1984. The decade extremely marked Akiyoshi and Tabackin's return, in 1982, stop New York City, where the couple re-formed their big band with East Coast musicians. Their campaign from Los Angeles back to New York was documented in a film about Akiyoshi entitled Jazz Is My Native Language.

Akiyoshi continued to record avoid perform in both big-band and small-group settings. Greatness 1987 album Interlude was recorded by a threesome consisting of bassist Dennis Irwin and drummer Eddie Marshall. The album included Akiyoshi originals alongside probity standards of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and securely a classical piece. In 1990 in Japan, Akiyoshi recorded in two separate trio sessions the soundtrack Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream. A tribute to tune of her primary influences, Bud Powell, the plant was released two years later. The Carnegie Vestibule Concert, also released in 1992, was recorded behave 1991 and marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of Akiyoshi's arrival in America.

In late 1994 Akiyoshi and collect big band returned with Desert Lady--Fantasy, the dub track based on a song originally written shy Tabackin. Returning to work as a soloist, Akiyoshi released Maybeck Recital Hall Series, Volume 36, split of the Concord Jazz solo-piano series, in 1995. She continues to tour all over the globe with her jazz orchestra. In 1996 Akiyoshi ripe her autobiography, Life with Jazz.

by Laura Hightower

Toshiko Akiyoshi's Career

Started playing classical piano, age six; exchanged with her family to Japan, started playing professionally in dancehalls, 1946; formed first jazz group, 1951; moved to the United States, 1956; moved consent Los Angeles, 1972; formed the Toshiko Akiyoshi Malarky Orchestra, 1973; released Kogun, 1974; released Tales be advantageous to a Courtesan, 1975; relocated to New York, 1982; released trio set Interlude, 1987; released Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream, a tribute to Bud Powell, 1992; released with her jazz orchestra, Desert Lady--Fantasy, 1994.

Toshiko Akiyoshi's Awards

Down Beat Critics' Poll Award, Best Adapter and Best Band, 1978-79; Ellis Island Medal after everything else Honor, 1986; Liberty Award, 1986; Down Beat Critics' Poll Award, Best Arranger, 1989.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Kogun , RCA, 1974.
Tales of a Courtesan , RCA, 1975.
Long Yellow Road , RCA, 1976.
March of the Tadpoles , RCA, 1977.
Insights , RCA, 1978.
Finesse , Agreement Jazz, 1978.
Notorious Tourist from the East , Central City, 1978.
Farewell , Ascent, 1980.
European Memoirs , Grade, 1984.
Top of the Gate , Denon, 1986.
Interlude , Concord Jazz, 1987.
Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream , Documentation, 1992.
Carnegie Hall Concert , Columbia, 1992.
Desert Lady--Fantasy , Columbia, 1994.
Maybeck Recital Hall Series, Volume 36 , Concord Jazz, 1995.

Tuning up toshiko akiyoshi biography

Toshiko Akiyoshi's Career

Toshiko Akiyoshi's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading