Toshiko Akiyoshi

Toshiko Akiyoshi (秋吉敏子), Japan ease born in Mandchourie then emigrated American is a Pianiste of Jazz and Leader. Born the December 12th 1929, it studies the traditional piano.

Biography

Years of training

Of return to Japan in 1946, it is initiated with the Jazz. She works like side woman, accompanying sometimes by the Americans in round, then founds its first group in 1953. Noticed by American pianists (in particular Oscar Peterson), it records its first disc in 1953. In 1956, it continues off its musical studies with the Berklee School Music of Boston, and continues to record, especially in trio.

Toshiko and Charlie

It meets in 1959 Charlie Mariano which it marries. They occur together in the United States and Japan and record some discs. In parallel, it directs various trainings of Japanese soloists, to the full orchestra (1656). It is as with a great formation as it occurs in Town Hall in 1967.

Toshiko and Lew

Divorced, it Marie with the sax tenor Lew Tabackin. After their first disc (with Kenny Dorham) in 1968 and one concert with Carnegie Hall in 1971 they form a full orchestra on the West coast then with New York (1982). She alternates since productions in small formations and direction of big bands to very variable personnel (with Tabackin like only constant pivot), recording frequently, first of all in Los Angeles, then in New York, under her name and that of her husband, occurring in many rounds and festivals. She plays even in company of symphony orchestras (North Carolina Symphony Orchestra (1992), Hawaii Symphony Orchestra (1993), Portland Symphony (1996) interpreting some of her compositions.

Style

With the piano, this disciple of Bud Powell, knew to enrich this style and to make it personal by a mixture of intensity and softness, rigor and sensitivity.

One finds this same antithesis in his arrangements and interpretations for large Orchestre, influenced at the same time by Gil Evans (unison S with instruments of different sections) and by Duke Ellington and Thad Jones (power of the play in section), and of Charlie Mingus (in the orchestra of which she played for some recordings) between bebop and mainstream. The sometimes méditative delicacy, underlined sometimes by the use of instruments Japan board) of certain introductions (Flute and silencing devices) bursts in controlled storms (Tutti of all the coppers and Rythme (musical theory) S supported, powerful front S and solis voluble developed by alternations of soft legato of all the orchestra, revivals vigorous and chorus only accompanied by the rhythm section).

She likes the contrast of the stamps of instruments and resorts sometimes to elements of the Japanese musical inheritance. But which marks especially its writing, it is phrased of mass, the lightness of the units.

This orchestra appears in documentary film “Jazz is my Native Language” (1983).

Toshiko Akiyoshi wrote an autobiography (“Life with jazz”), for those which read the Japanese or the Korean .

At the top of its career, she declares: “I would hope that my work might cuts more substance and more quality rather than quantity off notes. Selective And I hope the notes I produce today are more than 20 years ago. ”

Discography

Toshiko' S piano (1953) (Norgran)
Toshiko (1953) (Liveliness)
The Toshiko trio (1954) (Storyville)
Toshiko Akiyoshi: her trio, her four-bit byte (1956) (Storyville)
Amazing Toshiko Akiyoshi (1957) (Liveliness)
The many sides off Toshiko (1957) (Liveliness)
United concepts (1958) (Metrojazz)
Toshiko Mariano (1960) (Candid)
Toshiko Mariano four-bit byte (1961) (Candid)
Toshiko-Mariano four-bit byte (1963) (Takt Jazz)
Country & western jazz piano' S (1963) (Dauntless)
Toshiko & modern jazz (1964) (Denon)
Toshiko Mariano & her big band (1965) (Vee-Jay)
Toshiko Mariano & her big band recorded in Tokyo (1965) (Vee-Jay/Fresh Sounds)
At the signal off the spoils (1968) (Denon)
Kogun (1974) (RCA)
Tales off has courtesan (1975) (RCA)
Road time (1976) (RCA)
Insights (1976) (RCA)
March off the tadpoles (1977) (Ascent)
Dedications (1977) (Inner City)
Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin big band live At Newport (1977) (RCA)
Tribute to Billy Strayhorn (1978) (America Jazz)
Salted ginko nuts (1978) (Ascent)
Notorious tourist from the east (1978) (Inner City)
Sumi-e (1979) (Insights)
Farewell to Mingus (1980) (America Jazz)
Farewell (1980) (Ascent)
Tanuki' S night out (1981) (JAM)
European memoirs (1982) (Ascent)
Ten gallon shuffle (1984) (Ascent)
Wishing peace (1986) (Ken Music)
Carnegie hall concert (1991) (Columbia)
Shio ginnan (2001) (International BMG)
Hiroshima: rising from the abyss (2003) (True Life)

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