Toshiko Akiyoshi is a Japanese–American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader.
Kogun is the first album recorded by the Los Angeles-based Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. It was released in Japan by Victor in 1974 and received the Swing Journal Silver Disk prize for that year. It was later released on RCA Victor in the USA and elsewhere and received a 1979 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance by a Big Band.
European Memoirs is the tenth studio recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. Akiyoshi was nominated for a 1983 Grammy award in the Best Instrumental Arrangement category for the arrangement of "Remembering Bud" on this album. This would be the final recording of the Los Angeles-based Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band before the principals moved to New York City in 1982 and formed a new big band, the "Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin" that released nine more albums and two live performance videos before disbanding in 2003.
Toshiko's Piano is the debut recording of jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi. It was recorded in Japan in 1953 with guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and drummer J.C. Heard, who were known at the time for their work as pianist Oscar Peterson's rhythm section for Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts. The album was released as a 10 inch LP album on Norman Granz's Norgran Record label. Later 12 inch LP and (Japanese) CD re-issues also include all 4 Akiyoshi tracks from 1957's Verve Records recording, Toshiko and Leon Sash at Newport. The cover artwork is by David Stone Martin.
The Toshiko Trio is a jazz record album recorded in 1956 in New York City and released on the Storyville record label. It is the second studio recording of pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi - not to be confused with her 1983 Toshiba East World album, Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio.
Miwaku No Jazz is an album featuring Toshiko Mariano's piano in a small jazz combo setting. It was originally released in Japan in 1963 by Victor Records and was reissued on CD in 2006 by Think! Records.
Toshiko at Mocambo was recorded by jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi at the Mocambo club in Yokohama, Japan, in the summer of 1954. All four tracks from this recording as well as additional tracks from the same all-night live session with and without Akiyoshi were released on the 3 CD Rockwell – Polydor / Universal album, The Complete Historic Mocambo Session '54 – including, reportedly, a performance of "It's Only a Paper Moon" with Akiyoshi attempting to fill in on bass.
Toshiko – Her Trio, Her Quartet is a jazz album recorded by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi in New York, in 1956, and released on the Storyville record label. The album cover artwork is taken from Joan Miró's "Black and Red" series.
Toshiko and Leon Sash at Newport is a live album recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957 and released on the Verve record label. All 4 Toshiko Akiyoshi tracks are also included on some later re-issues of the Norgran (Verve) recording Toshiko's Piano / Amazing Toshiko Akiyoshi.
The jazz album Toshiko Meets Her Old Pals was recorded by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi in Tokyo in March 1961 and released by King Records in Japan. All tracks from this album as well as 1961's Long Yellow Road (Trio) were later combined on a single album released by King Jazz as 1961 - Toshiko Akiyoshi, a History of King Jazz Recordings.
Toshiko–Mariano Quartet is a jazz album by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi and alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano and was recorded in Tokyo in 1963 and released on the Nippon Columbia/Takt label. This album is related to the similar RCA Mariano/Akiyoshi release, East and West but is not to be confused with the 1961 Candid recording, The Toshiko–Mariano Quartet.
Toshiko Mariano and Her Big Band is a jazz album recorded in Tokyo by Toshiko Akiyoshi in July 1964 and released in the US on the Vee-Jay Records label. It was also released on the Nippon Columbia label in Japan under the title, Toshiko and Modern Jazz. In addition to the 4 big band arrangements featuring a full 16 piece jazz orchestra, there are also three smaller combo tracks on this album.
The jazz trio album Dedications was recorded by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi in Los Angeles in July 1976 and was released by Discomate Records in Japan. This recording is not to be confused with the 1977 Inner City Records (USA) release of the same name, Dedications, which was also released by Discomate in Japan, but under the title Dedications II.
Just Be Bop is a jazz album recorded by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi in 1980 and released in Japan on the Discomate record label.
Toshiko Plays Billy Strayhorn is a jazz album recorded by two different configurations of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio in 1978. It was released on the Discomate record label in Japan and on the JAM Record label in the USA.
The jazz album Notorious Tourist from the East was recorded by Toshiko Akiyoshi in 1978 and released in the USA on the Inner City Record label and in Japan on the Discomate record label.
Tuttie Flutie is a jazz album recorded by the Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio with a flute quartet. It was released in 1980 on the Discomate (Japan) record label.
Time Stream: Toshiko Plays Toshiko is a small jazz combo album by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi playing her own compositions. It was recorded in 1996 and released by Nippon Crown Records. This recording is not to be confused with the 1984 Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio recording, Time Stream or the 1979 Toshiko Akiyoshi Quartet (Discomate) recording, Toshiko Plays Toshiko.
Since her debut recording for Norgran Records in 1954, jazz pianist, composer, arranger and big band leader Toshiko Akiyoshi has recorded continually – almost exclusively as a leader of small jazz combos and of her big bands – averaging one studio album release per year for well over 50 years. She has also recorded several live albums in solo, small combo and big band settings, including three big band concert videos. Akiyoshi has released multiple albums for Victor / BMG, Nippon Columbia, Toshiba, Discomate, Nippon Crown and other labels in Japan and for Norgran / Verve, RCA, Columbia / Sony, Concord and her own Ascent label in the US. All of her big band recordings and nearly all of her other early works have been re-issued on CDs over the years.
Eugene Valentino Cherico was an American jazz double-bassist.
