Search - Artist/Band: Toshiko Akiyoshi

• Name: Toshiko Akiyoshi
• Birthday: 12/12/1929
• Birth Place: Dairen, China
• Decades Active: 1950,1960,1970
• Genre: Jazz
• Styles: Big Band, Bop, Hard Bop, Progressive Jazz, Jazz Instrument, Piano Jazz
• Moods: Complex, Freewheeling, Literate, Sophisticated, Ambitious, Carefree, Dramatic, Earnest, Elaborate, Exuberant, Lively, Passionate, Provocative, Rousing, Stylish, Uplifting, Witty, Wry

Title	Release
Dedications, Vol. 3	06/13/2009
Dedications, Vol. 1	03/31/2009
Dedications, Vol. 2	03/31/2009
Jazz Matinee: Let Freedom Swing W	02/26/2008
Toshiko Meets Old Pal W	03/12/2007
Miwaku No Jazz WA	09/25/2006
Solo Piano	02/27/2006
Big Band	11/16/2004
New York Sketch Book WA	06/15/2004
Last Live in Blue Note Tokyo WA	03/29/2004
Best of Toshiko Akiyoshi WA	10/28/2002
Monopoly Game WA	12/04/2001
1961 WA	11/27/2001
Japanese Trio (Live 1997)	09/21/2001
Solo Live at Kennedy Center WA	07/26/2000
Dig WA	09/22/1999
Night & Dream WA	09/22/1999
Sketches of Japan WA	09/22/1999
Toshiko Plays Toshiko WA	09/22/1999
Yes I Have No 4BEAT Today WA	09/22/1999
Best 8	12/16/1998
Best Gold	02/25/1998
Best Silver	02/25/1998
Desert Lady/Fantasy WA	08/09/1994
Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream WA	08/31/1992
Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band [Novus] WA	1991
Four Seasons of Morita Village WA	1990
Interlude WA	02/1987
Wishing Peace WA	1986
Ten Gallon Shuffle WA	1984
European Memoirs	1982
Farewell WA	1980
Finesse WA	05/08/1978
March of the Tadpoles WA	1977
Insights WA	1976
Road Time WA	1976
Long Yellow Road WA	1975
Tales of a Courtesan (Oirantan) WA	1975
Kogun WA	1974
Toshiko Mariano Quartet	06/1961
The Many Sides of Toshiko WA	09/28/1957
Amazing Toshiko Akiyoshi WA	07/05/1957
From Toshiko with Love WA
Memoir WA

As an arranger, Toshiko Akiyoshi (influenced originally by Gil Evans and Thad Jones) has been particularly notable for incorporating elements of traditional japanese music into her otherwise bop-ish charts. A strong (and underrated) pianist in the Bud Powell tradition, Akiyoshi was born in China but moved to Japan in 1946. She played locally (Sadao Watanabe was among her sidemen) and, after being noticed and encouraged by Oscar Peterson, studied at Berklee during 1956-1959. Married for a time to altoist Charlie Mariano, she co-led the Toshiko Mariano Quartet in the early '60s. After working with Charles Mingus in 1962 (including participating in his ill-fated Town Hall Concert), Toshiko returned to Japan for three years. Back in New York by 1965, she did a radio series and formed a quartet with her second husband, Lew Tabackin, in 1970. After moving to Los Angeles in 1972, Toshiko Akiyoshi put together her very impressive big band which featured such fine soloists as Bobby Shew, Gary Foster, and Tabackin. They recorded several notable albums before Akiyoshi decided, in 1981, to move to New York. Since their relocation, Akiyoshi and Tabackin have both been quite active although her re-formed big band has actually received less publicity than it did in L.A. She ranks as one of the top jazz arrangers of the past several decades. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide