''Toshiko's Piano'' (released as ''Amazing Toshiko Akiyoshi'' in Japan) is the debut recording of jazz pianist

Toshiko Akiyoshi is a Japanese–American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. Akiyoshi received fourteen Grammy Award nominations and was the first woman to win Best Arranger and Composer awards in ''Down Beat'' magazine's annual Readers' Poll. ...

. It was recorded in Japan in 1953 with guitarist

Herb Ellis Mitchell Herbert Ellis (August 4, 1921 – March 28, 2010), known professionally as Herb Ellis, was an American jazz guitarist. During the 1950s, he was in a trio with pianist Oscar Peterson. Biography Born in Farmersville, Texas, and raised ...

, bassist Ray Brown and drummer

J.C. Heard James Charles Heard (August 10, 1917 – September 27, 1988) was an American swing, bop, and blues drummer. Biography Heard was born in Dayton, Ohio and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. As a young child, he performed as a tap dancer in amat ...

, who were known at the time for their work as pianist

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

's rhythm section for

Jazz at the Philharmonic Jazz at the Philharmonic, or JATP (1944–1983), was the title of a series of jazz concerts, tours and recordings produced by Norman Granz. Over the years, "Jazz at the Philharmonic" featured many of the era's preeminent musicians, including Loui ...

concerts. The album was released as a 10 inch

LP album The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...

Norman Granz Norman Granz (August 6, 1918 – November 22, 2001) was an American jazz record producer and concert promoter. He founded the record labels Clef, Norgran, Down Home, Verve, and Pablo. Granz was acknowledged as "the most successful impresar ...

's Norgran Record label. Later 12 inch LP and (Japanese) CD re-issues also include all 4 Akiyoshi tracks from 1957's

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, ...

recording, ''

Toshiko and Leon Sash at Newport ''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 ...

''. The cover artwork is by

David Stone Martin David Stone Martin, born David Livingstone Martin (June 13, 1913 – March 6, 1992 in New London, Connecticut) was an American artist best known for his illustrations on jazz record albums.Detailed biographical information is spread throughout ...

Track listing

LP side Aoriginal 10 inch LP #"

What Is This Thing Called Love? "What Is This Thing Called Love?" is a 1929 popular song written by Cole Porter, for the musical '' Wake Up and Dream''. It was first performed by Elsie Carlisle in March 1929. The song has become a popular jazz standard and one of Porter's most o ...

" (

Porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., a ...

) – 2:45 #"

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Win ...

" (

Wrubel Wrubel is a respelling of the Polish surname Wróbel ("sparrow"). It may refer to: *Allie Wrubel Elias Paul "Allie" Wrubel (January 15, 1905 – December 13, 1973) was an American composer and songwriter. Biography Wrubel was born to a Jewi ...

, Magidson) – 2:33 #"

I Want to Be Happy "I Want to Be Happy" is a song with music by Vincent Youmans and lyrics by Irving Caesar written for the 1925 musical '' No, No, Nanette''. Musical The song is used several times throughout the musical as a running theme representing the attempts ...

" (

Youmans Youmans is a surname of English origin, a variant of "yeoman". Notable persons with this last name include: * Ashley Youmans, birth-name of Ashley Alexandra Dupré, call girl connected to the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal * Charlotte Youmans ...

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman people, Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caes ...

) – 2:14 #"Toshiko's Blues" ( Akiyoshi) – 3:44 LP side B #" Shadrach" ( MacGimsey) – 2:41 #"Solidado" (Akiyoshi) – 3:29 #"Squatty Roo" ( Hodges) – 2:38 #"

Laura Laura may refer to: People * Laura (given name) * Laura, the British code name for the World War I Belgian spy Marthe Cnockaert Places Australia * Laura, Queensland, a town on the Cape York Peninsula * Laura, South Australia * Laura Bay, a bay on ...

" ( Raksin,

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...

) – 3:27 Additional four bonus tracks on later 12 inch LP and CD re-issues (from 1957 live recording, '' Toshiko...at Newport''): #

"Between Me and Myself" (Akiyoshi) – 5:38 #"Blues for Toshiko" (Akiyoshi) – 5:38 #" I'll Remember April" (

Raye Raye may refer to: *Raye (singer) (born 1997), British singer and songwriter *Raye, English dub name of anime character Sailor Mars Given name *Raye Hartmann (born 1990), Canadian footballer *Raye Birk (born 1943), American film and television ...

, DePaul, Johnston) – 7:05 #"

Lover Lover or lovers may refer to a person having a sexual or romantic relationship with someone outside marriage. In this context see: * Sexual partner * Mistress (lover) * Extramarital sex * Premarital sex Lover or Lovers may also refer to: Geogr ...

" (

Rodgers Rodgers is a patronymic surname of Old English origin derived from the Norman personal name "Roger", with the addition of the genitive suffix "-s" and meaning “son of Roger.” The intrusive “d” in Rodgers is either a Welsh or Scottish addi ...

Hart Hart often refers to: * Hart (deer) Hart may also refer to: Organizations * Hart Racing Engines, a former Formula One engine manufacturer * Hart Skis, US ski manufacturer * Hart Stores, a Canadian chain of department stores * Hart's Reptile W ...

) – 5:45

Personnel

Tracks 1~8 (A1~B4 of original 10 inch LP) *

– piano *

– guitar * Ray Brown – bass *

J. C. Heard James Charles Heard (August 10, 1917 – September 27, 1988) was an American swing, bop, and blues drummer. Biography Heard was born in Dayton, Ohio and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. As a young child, he performed as a tap dancer in a ...

– drums Tracks 9~12 *

– piano *

Gene Cherico Eugene Valentino Cherico (April 15, 1935, Buffalo, New York – August 12, 1994, Santa Monica, California) was an American jazz double-bassist. Cherico played drums as a child and played in a special services band in the Army, but injured his ha ...

– bass *

Jake Hanna Jake Hanna (April 4, 1931 – February 12, 2010) was an American jazz drummer. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, United States. Hanna first performed in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the house drummer at Storyville nightclub in Boston, ...

– drums

References

*Norgran MGN-22 *Universal (J) UCCV 9050 *Verve Japan MI3005

External links

Verve Records Discography Project
Toshiko Akiyoshi albums 1954 debut albums Norgran Records albums Albums produced by Norman Granz Albums with cover art by David Stone Martin {{1950s-jazz-album-stub