Insights (Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band)
Occupation
- Trumpet: Steven Huffsteter, Bobby Shew, Mike Price, Richard Cooper (1-3), Jerry Hey ( 4)
- Trombone: Bill Reichenbach, Charlie Loper, Britt Woodman
- Bass Trombone: Bill Theele
- Tenor Saxophone, Flute: Lew Tabackin
- Tenor Saxophone: Tom Peterson
- Alto Saxophone: Dick Spencer, Gary Foster
- Baritone saxophone Bill Perkins
- Piano, arranger Toshiko Akiyoshi
- Bass: Don Baldwin
- Drums: Peter Donald
- Uthai: Hisao Kanze ( 4)
- Tsuzumi, singing: Hayao Uzawa ( 4)
- Vocals: Michiru Mariano ( 4)
- Kakko: Hiromitsu Katada ( 3)
Insights is a jazz album by Toshiko Akiyoshi - Lew Tabackin Big Band, which was recorded in Hollywood on 22, 23 and 24 June 1976, and released on the RCA Victor label.
The album
Since 1972, the Japanese pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi and her husband, the saxophonist and flutist Lew Tabackin worked played with a 16-member big band in California in which, inter alia, well-known musicians such as Bill Perkins, Bobby Shew and Britt Woodman. Already on the first album for RCA in 1974 resulting kogun was new, the integration of traditional Japanese music and its musicians and instruments over traditional big band instrumentation. This also happened on the resulting studio album in June 1976 Insights happened. Its central composition was the suite -like " Minamata ".
The album opens with "Studio J", the Toshiko begins with a piano introduction and refers to her early years in Boston; "It was the room where we had an improvisation class when I studied at the Berklee School of Music. It was one of the pieces that I wrote for a Trio 1957 - Gene Cherico on bass, Jake Hanna on drums and me. The rough draft of my orchestration for this new version will follow those of the original, "said the band leader. The following " Transience " represents the baritone saxophonist Bill Perkins and the trombonist Britt Woodman out as the main soloists. " Sumie " - originally rehearsed for four flutes and bass clarinet - is a feature for Lew Tabackin on the flute. "The concept of melody is repeated three times, and each chorus, the intensity increases ," Yoshiko wrote.
The suite " Minamata " with the parts "Peaceful Village ", " Prospertity & Consequence" and " Epilogue " Yoshiko wrote in 1975 as commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts; it is a " with fragments of Japanese folklore and Japanese tonalities " interwoven composition. "Peaceful Village " begins with a brief vocal introduction by the then 13 - year-old daughter of bandleader Monday Michiru, who had here her recording debut. After the game the theme by Mike Price on trumpet and flute Tabackins Bobby Shew has an impressive solo on flugelhorn, begegleitet by Peter Donald Beck game. Finally, the voltage ( and the beginning of " Prosperity" ) repealed by the rhythm section that drives the ensemble in a swinging up tempo game. Soloist is here first Lew Tabackin on tenor saxophone with the group in the background, then Dick Spencer on alto and finally the trombonist Bill Reichenbach.
In addition in the swinging " Consequence" of the Japanese percussionist and Noh specialist Hayao Uzawa, who is also briefly several times to listen to his voice; Soloists are Tabackin, Steve Huffsteter and Bobby Shew on trumpet. " The influences of the Noh theater explained by the fact that Toshiko father played in such a theater. " In " Epilogue " percussionist Hisao Kanze emerges as a soloist.
Reception and Awards
The critic Ken Dryden called Insights into Allmusic as one of the best albums of the Toshiko Akiyoshis - Lew Tabackin Big Band.
Insights in 1978 was honored by Downbeat Magazi as a jazz album of the year; was completed in the same year, the gold record from the Japanese Swing Journal and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Jazz Instrumental recording of a big band
The title of the album
Toshiko Akiyoshi / Lew Tabackin Big Band: Insights (RCA Victor Records RVC RVP - 6106, RCA R32J141 )
All compositions and arrangements Toshiko Akiyoshi come from.