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.
Long Yellow Road is the second album by the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. It was named Best Jazz Album of the year by Stereo Review magazine. In 1976, the album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band.
Tales of a Courtesan (Oirantan) is the third recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. It is also sometimes referred to by the title HANA KAI TAN in rōmaji listings of the Japanese album title.
From Toshiko With Love is the twelfth recording released by the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. It was released in Japan by Victor Records and in the U.S. by Jazz America Marketing – not to be confused with the 2002 Lew Tabackin Trio recording of the same name (Tanuki's Night Out). The album received two Grammy award nominations in 1981 for "Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Big Band" and "Best Arrangement of an Instrumental Recording".
Road Time was the first live concert recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. The recording was made at three concerts in Tōkyō and Ōsaka, during a 1976 Japan tour and the double album received a 1977 Grammy nomination in the "Best Jazz Performance - Big Band" category.
Insights is the fourth studio recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band and was voted "Jazz Album of the Year" in the 1978 Down Beat magazine critic's poll. It received the Swing Journal magazine 1976 Gold Disk prize in Japan and was nominated for a 1978 Grammy award in the USA for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance by a Big Band.
March of the Tadpoles was the fifth studio recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. The album was released in Japan in 1977 by Baystate. The album received two 1985 Grammy award nominations – for "Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Big Band" and for "Best Arrangement on an Instrumental".
Live at Newport '77 was the second live recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band and was followed by another release, Live at Newport II recorded on the same day. Both albums were recorded at the 1977 Newport Jazz Festival.
Ten Gallon Shuffle is the first recording released by the New York-based Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. The composition Ten Gallon Shuffle was originally commissioned by Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity for the University of Texas Jazz Orchestra.
Wishing Peace is the second recording released by the New York-based Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin after 13 previous releases with their Los Angeles-based Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. "Lady Liberty", "Wishing Peace" and "Uptown Stroll" form the three part "Liberty Suite" written on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.
Carnegie Hall Concert is the third recording released by the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. The album received a 1992 Grammy award nomination in the category "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance."
Tribute to Duke Ellington is a big band jazz album recorded in New York in 1999 and is the seventh recording released by the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. The first three tracks make up the "Tribute To Duke Ellington Suite" which was composed by Akiyoshi and commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival.
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 – 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 United Notions with Toshiko and her International Jazz Sextet was recorded in New York in 1958 and released on the Metrojazz label. The recording features pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with Nat Adderley or Doc Severinsen alternating on cornet/trumpet, Bobby Jaspar playing tenor and baritone saxophone and flute, Rolf Kühn on alto saxophone and clarinet, René Thomas on guitar, Bert Dale on drums and John Drew on bass.
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.
1961 – Toshiko Akiyoshi is a compilation of previous Toshiko Akiyoshi recordings from 1961. All 5 tracks from the Asahi Sonorama releases, Long Yellow Road as well as all 6 tracks from the King Records release Toshiko Meets Her Old Pals are contained on this album. All of these tracks, along with those of many other artists, are also included on the 12-CD box set, A History of King Jazz Recordings.
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.
In Shanghai is a live concert recording made by the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin in October, 2010 in Shanghai. An audio CD version was released by Pony Canyon in Japan in January, 2011 and a DVD video version was released in March of the same year. Although the New York-based Orchestra had officially disbanded in 2003, they have reformed on occasion to perform special tours and concerts like this one.
