Toshiko Akiyoshi (b. 1929) is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in jazz and one of the first major jazz artists to immigrate from Japan to the United States. She enrolled at Berklee College of Music in 1956 and, by the early 1960s, had established herself as a significant presence on the American jazz scene.

Initially influenced by the bebop language of Bud Powell, Akiyoshi later turned her focus toward composition and large-ensemble writing. In partnership with saxophonist and flutist Lew Tabackin, she co-founded the internationally acclaimed Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, earning widespread recognition for her distinctive integration of Japanese musical elements with modern jazz orchestration.

In 2003, Toshiko Akiyoshi concluded the long-running tenure of her acclaimed Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin in order to focus more fully on her piano performance and smaller ensemble work. In 2023, Jazz at Lincoln Center honored her extraordinary body of work with a celebratory concert featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Lew Tabackin.

This presentation and concert, led by bassist Allison Lee, will celebrate Akiyoshi’s lasting impact as a composer, pianist, bandleader, and visionary artist whose music bridges Japanese and American jazz traditions.

Allison Lee – bass/musical director
Mejedi Owusu – trombone
Maxwell Holmes – piano
Oscar Evely – drums