Atsuko Hashimoto

Infobox musical artist
Name = Atsuko Hashimoto


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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
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Origin = Osaka, Japan
Instrument = Organ
Genre = Mainstream jazz
Occupation = Musician
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Label = Azica
Thousand Days
YS organ-ize
Associated_acts = International Power Trio, Organ Magic Trio, Atsuko Hashimoto Organ Trio, Atsuko Hashimoto Trio
URL = [http://prolinea-net.com/atsukohashimoto/ prolinea-net.com/atsukohashimoto]
Notable_instruments = Hammond B-3 organ

Atsuko Hashimoto, is a jazz musician from Osaka, Japan who plays Hammond B-3 electronic organ and has performed in Japan and the United States. To date, she has recorded five albums of organ trio and organ quartet jazz.

Career

Hashimoto first played the organ at the age of four, beginning with popular songs and jazzstandards. Before choosing to specialize in jazz she trained in classical music for several years. At 18, she began working for Hammond Japan demonstrating organs and giving lessons as a Hammond-certified instructor.

In 1991, Hashimoto became the house organ player at the Don Shop in Osaka. The next year, she fronted her own organ quartet at the Osaka Jazz Festival and Naniwa Arts Festival. These appearances led to collaborations with Makoto Ozone and Terumasa Hino.

In 1999, Hashimoto debuted in the US, playing at clubs in New Orleans as well as [http://www.jazzatpearls.com/ Jazz at Pearl's] in San Francisco, where she performed with Bruce Forman on guitar and Vince Lateano on drums. In 2000, she toured Japan with "Brother" Jack McDuff and his band, and in September that year shared the bill with Dr. Lonnie Smith at Blue Note Osaka. 2001 saw Atsuko return to California, playing at the San Jose Jazz Festival, The Baked Potato in Studio City and the [http://www.kuumbwajazz.org/ Kuumbwa Jazz Center] in Santa Cruz. She played at the 2001 Jazz Organ Summit with Yutaka Hashimoto and [http://www.fukushitainaka.com/contents.php?pid=2 Fukushi Tainaka] .

In 2002, while he was touring Japan with Diana Krall, Jeff Hamilton first heard from other musicians about the electrifying Atsuko Hashimoto "holding court" at the Don Shop, enthralling audiences while playing jazz after hours. Following his set in Osaka, Hamilton went to hear her play and after a few songs, he asked and was invited to sit in with her on stage for a 'jam'. Hamilton has said the experience resolved in him a desire to tour and record with Hashimoto. Hashimoto and Hamilton have recorded two CDs together, touring to support the recordings. [ [http://www.eastwindimport.com/album-details.asp?CategoryName=New+Arrivals&PG=1&ProductID=295 Eastwind Import. "Full Organ"] ]

In 2003, at the 40th Naniwa Arts Festival in Osaka, Atsuko received the Shoji Nakayama Jazz Award, the Progressive Musician's Prize, and awards from both the governor of Osaka Prefecture and the mayor of the city of Osaka.

Club Manhattan in Osaka hosted Atsuko Hashimoto in 2004. [ [http://www.nicholashoffman.com/schedule04.html Nicholas Hoffman Performance Schedule 2004] ]

September, 2006, was a very busy month for the artist. September 5, Atsuko and Yutaka Hashimoto recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles accompanied by Jeff Hamilton. Houston Person swapped in for Yutaka Hashimoto on a second collection of songs. The extended recording session resulted in both the Thousand Days Records album "Time After Time", released March 5 2008 and the Azica Records album "Introducing Atsuko Hashimoto", released February 12 2008. The next day, on September 6, Atsuko Hashimoto, Jeff Hamilton and Houston Person performed at San Diego Museum of Art where they received a standing ovation. On September 8, Hashimoto appeared at the White Noise Music Festival in Sacramento. [ [http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/Content?oid=178745 Jackson Griffith. "Free Jazz: The White Noise International Music Festival brings jazz--and rock and soul--to the masses" September 7 2006] ] On September 10 2006 at the [http://www.jazzschool.com/ Jazzschool] in Berkeley, Atsuko and Yutaka Hashimoto were joined by Juasa Kanoh on drums. [ [http://jazzschool.inhousetickets.com/evinfo.php?eventid=12661 The Jazzschool "Sun. September 10, 2006. Atsuko Hashimoto "] ] Late in September, Atsuko and Yutaka Hashimoto were invited to the 12th West Coast Jazz Party in Irvine, California. There Mrs. Hashimoto played two sets with Jeff Hamilton on drums: one with Yutaka Hashimoto and Ron Eschete trading licks on guitar and one with Houston Person on tenor saxophone—the latter group billed as "Organ Magic Trio." [ [http://www.jazzpolice.com/content/view/6248/118/ Jazz Police. by LAjazz.com. "12th Annual West Coast Jazz Party: 3 Full Days of Straight Ahead Jazz". 17 August 2006] ] They also played at the LAX Crowne Plaza Hotel's Brasserie Lounge in Los Angeles and [http://www.steamersjazz.com/ Steamers Jazz Club] in Fullerton.

At the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival in September 2007, Atsuko Hashimoto took part in the "Hammond B-3 Blowout" featuring the Joey DeFrancesco Trio and the Atsuko Hashimoto Trio. Her trio included Houston Person and Jeff Hamilton; the two trios were said to "blow out the Night Club." [ [http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/media/092407.html 50th MJF Press Releases. "Weekend Highlights"] ] Prior to the Monterey date, Hashimoto appeared at Centrum (also known as Port Townsend Jazz Festival), Steamers Jazz Club, the Brasserie Lounge and the [http://www.pasjazz.org/ Pasadena Jazz Institute] where Ron Eschete covered guitar.

At the 8th [http://www.newportbeachjazzparty.com/ Newport Beach Jazz Party] (a sister event to the West Coast Jazz Party) on February 17 2008, Atsuko Hashimoto, Jeff Hamilton and Houston Person played a set billed as "International Power Trio". [ [http://www.newportbeachjazzparty.com/flyer08.jpg8th Newport Beach Jazz Party (JPG flyer)] ] The next day, the Atsuko Hashimoto Organ Trio played Pasadena Jazz Institute, featuring Yutaka Hashimoto on guitar and Jeff Hamilton on drums. On February 22 2008, Atsuko Hashimoto and Jeff Hamilton joined tenor saxophonist Red Holloway at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho.

Musical Style

Atsuko Hashimoto plays primarily jazz standards, augmenting them with solos. YS organ-ize Records, her first label, has described her playing as "pre-Jimmy Smith era, some Wild Bill Davis, some Milt Buckner, some Jackie Davis". Mrs. Hashimoto plays Hammond B-3 through one or two Leslie speakers. She often wears gloves or tapes her fingers before playing in order to enable smooth, fast glissandi without injury.

Personal life

In the early 1990s, Atsuko Hashimoto married Yutaka, a skilled jazz guitarist. The couple lives in Osaka when they aren't touring.

Mrs. Hashimoto travels with an interpreter when outside of Japan.

Discography

* "Introducing Atsuko Hashimoto" (2008) featuring Jeff Hamilton (drums). Houston Person plays tenor sax
* "Time After Time" (Thousand Days Records. 2008) with Yutaka Hashimoto (guitar) and Jeff Hamilton (drums)
* "Songs We Love" (Thousand Days Records. 2005) with Yutaka Hashimoto (guitar) and Juasa Kanoh (drums). Vocal appearances by Harvey Thompson, Toni Scruggs and Elijah Levi
* "Full Organ" (self-produced, recorded at Osaka Municipal Space of Arts, January 25, 2003) with Yutaka Hashimoto (guitar) and Jimmie Smith (drums)
* "Jazz Tribute" ( [http://www.ys-co.org/top-english.html YS organ-ize records] , recorded July 1999, at Le Club Jazz, Kyoto, Japan) with Yutaka Hashimoto (guitar), Tatsuhiko Takeda (drums) and Jin Mitsuda (percussion). The album also features the Midori Ono Trio

ee also

*Hammond organ
*Organ trio

References

External links

* [http://prolinea-net.com/atsukohashimoto/ Atsuko Hashimoto official website]
* [http://www.casba.ne.jp/hashimoto/index.htm Japanese language website of Atsuko Hashimoto]
* [http://www.uchi-hommachi.jp/hashimoto/ Japanese language blog of Atsuko Hashimoto]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=90948105 White Noise Music Festival MySpace. Listen to "Lady Bug" streaming audio by Atsuko Hashimoto]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/ptcentrum/2220303067/ Centrum's photostream on Flickr. Photos of Atsuko Hashimoto, Jeff Hamilton and Houston Person. July 27 2007]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=1000568660 Thousand Days Records. Listen to streaming audio selections from the album "Songs We Love"]
* [http://www.prolinea-net.com/thd/news.html Thousand Days Records]