(born September 19, 1957) is a multi-instrumentalist trained in traditional Japanese music (ie: taiko and shamisen), educator and experimental filmmaker. In his career as Chicago's Jazz and creative improvisor, he is mostly known as a long-standing bassist for Fred Anderson and he has also worked with George Freeman, and

Von Freeman Earle Lavon "Von" Freeman Sr. (October 3, 1923 – August 11, 2012) was an American hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Freeman as a young child was exposed to jazz. His father, George, a city policeman, was a c ...

in the 90s. Aoki also has curious recording projects with

Malachi Favors Malachi Favors (August 22, 1927 – January 30, 2004) was an American jazz bassist who played with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography "Favors's tendency to dissemble about his age was a well-known source of mirth to fellow musicians of his g ...

Roscoe Mitchell Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figures ...

Don Moye Donald Moye, Jr. (born May 23, 1946), known as Famoudou Don Moye, is an American jazz percussionist and drummer. He is most known for his involvement with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and is noted for his mastery of African and Caribbean percuss ...

Wu Man Wu Man (; b. Hangzhou, Zhejiang, January 2, 1963) is a Chinese pipa player and composer. Trained in Pudong-style pipa performance at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, she is known for playing in a broad range of musical styles and i ...

, and other internationally renowned artists. Aoki also directs cultural events that promote the history of Japanese artistic traditions and contemporary Asian influences in jazz. As the founder and artistic director of Asian Improv Arts Midwest, he hosts events such as the annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival and the Japanese American Service Committee's Tsukasa Taiko Legacy arts residency program.

Biography

Tatsu Aoki is an advocate for the Asian American community as well as a filmmaker, educator, composer and a performer of traditional and experimental music forms. He was born in Tokyo in 1957 to Toyoakimoto, an artisan family proficient in ''

okiya An is the lodging house/drinking establishment to which a or geisha is affiliated with during her career as a geisha. The is typically run by the "mother" () of the house, who handles a geisha's engagements, the development of her skills, and ...

'', the tradition of working as booking and training agents for

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...

in downtown Tokyo. Starting at the age of four, Aoki was part of his family's performance crew and received traditional Tokyo geisha cultural training and studies which combined history with creativity. In the late 1960s, during Tokyo's economic and social decline, many traditional family businesses were forced to close. With his grandmother's passing, he shifted his training to American pop and experimental music. In the early 1970s, he became a member of Gintenkai, an experimental ensemble that combined traditional music with Western forms. He began to work in small-gauge and experimental films, influenced by his biological father, who was a movie producer at

Shintoho was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big six film studios (which also included Daiei, Nikkatsu, Shochiku, Toei Company, and Toho) during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Toho company fol ...

studio. In 1977, Aoki left Tokyo to study experimental filmmaking at the

School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which grew into the museum and ...

, where he has taught film production and art history. He has produced more than thirty experimental films and performs on

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

shamisen The , also known as the or (all meaning "three strings"), is a three-stringed traditional Japanese musical instrument derived from the Chinese instrument . It is played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usual ...

, and

taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...

. He was a visiting professor at Northwestern University, teaching courses in Asian American Arts Practices and Identity. He is the founder and artistic director of the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival. In 1999 he became president of Asian Improv Records in San Francisco. He has managed or produced more than fifty albums for the label, including the

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz Jazz drumming, drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in h ...

and

Jon Jang Jon Jang (; born March 11, 1954) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader. Of Chinese ancestry, he specializes in music which combines elements of jazz and Asian musics, and is known for musical works exploring international as we ...

collaboration The Beijing Trio. Since 1995, Aoki has led the Miyumi Project ensemble. The Miyumi Project has had a varying number of musicians; the only continuous members have been Aioki and Mwata Bowden. With drummer Afifi Phillard they originally called the group Power Trio. In 2016, the Miyumi Project ensemble was the official musical presenter for

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

's ''Skylanding'' installation at Jackson Park in Chicago. Ono produced the band's album ''Skylanding''. In 2017, the Miyumi Project contributed to ''And Then They Came for Us'', a documentary about

internment of Japanese Americans Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

and released an album of the same name. For twenty years he has played bass for saxophonist Fred Anderson. He has also worked with

Hamid Drake Hamid Drake (born August 3, 1955) is an American jazz drummer and percussionist. By the close of the 1990s, Hamid Drake was widely regarded as one of the best percussionists in jazz and improvised music. Incorporating Afro-Cuban, Indian, and Afr ...

, Nicole Mitchell, and Jeff Parker and has had extensive recording processes with

Joseph Jarman Joseph Jarman (September 14, 1937 – January 9, 2019) was an American jazz musician, composer, poet, and Shinshu Buddhist priest. He was one of the first members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and a member of the ...

, and

. Aoki's suite ''Rooted: Origins of Now'', a four-movement suite for big band, premiered in 2001 at Ping Tom Memorial Park and was performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival and MCA Stage as part of the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival. Additional albums include ''Basser Live'' (1999) and ''Basser Live II'' (2005), recorded live at MCA Stage; ''Symphony of Two Cities'' (2002); and ''Posture of Reality with Wu Man'' (2003). In 2016 he toured as part of Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble. He leads Tsukasa Taiko, a traditional Japanese drumming group, and has performed with Toyoaki Shamisen Ensemble and Shubukai Classical Dance As executive director of Asian Improved arts Midwest, an Asian American cultural arts presenter organization, Aoki has initiated and managed several programs to advance the understanding of traditional arts, including the annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival, the Tsukasa Taiko Legacy, and the Toyoaki Shamisen arts residency projects. He began making films in regular 8 gauge in early childhood. His biological father, Wahei Hoshino, was a movie producer in the 1960s and influenced his work in small gauge, experimental filmmaking. His super 8 diary films and experimental films with optical printing have been screened around the world. He presented the documentary ''That Asian Thing'' in 2008 and worked as a composer for the short film ''Farewell, Mr. Griswell'' in 2010. He has published sample versions of films such as ''FLUX Project'', ''Gate'', ''Puzzle - Part III'', ''Ah Sou Desuka: Is that So!'', and ''Solution A''.

Awards and honors

* 2001 Chicagoan of the Year, ''Chicago Tribune'' * 2007 Milestone Award, Asian American Institute * 2010 Cultural Achievement Award, Japan America Society of Chicago * 2014 Living in Our Culture Award, Japanese American Service Committee * 2015 Jazz Heroes Award, Jazz Journalists Association * 2017 Best Experimental Film, ''Light'', Canada International Film Festival * 2017 Commendation for the Promotion of Japanese Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan * 2017 Community Service Award, Asian American Advisory Council of Illinois, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White * 2018 George Award, George Freeman * 2018 Silver Gavel Award, American Bar Association * 2019 Community Service award, Asian American Coalition of Chicago * 2020 United States Artist Fellowship and Illinois Arts Council Fellowship

Selected discography

* ''Depressingly Happy'' (Innocent Eyes & Lenses, 1990) * ''Needless to Say'' (Sound Aspects, 1992) * ''Kioto'' (Asian Improv, 1994) * ''If It Wasn't for Paul'' (Southport, 1995) * ''Urban Reception'' (Southport, 1996) * ''Actual Music'' (TOE, 1996) * ''Live at Blue Rider Theatre'' (Innocent Eyes & Lenses, 1997) * ''Basser Live'' (Asian Improv, 1999) * '' 2 x 4'' (Southport, 1999) with

Malachi Favors Maghostut Malachi Favors (August 22, 1927 – January 30, 2004) was an American jazz bassist who played with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography "Favors's tendency to dissemble about his age was a well-known source of mirth to fellow musicians of his g ...

* ''Trio'' (Melungeon 2006) * ''Boxes'' (Asian Improv, 2019)

As sideman

With Fred Anderson * '' Fred Chicago Chamber Music'' (Southport, 1997) * '' Fred Anderson Quartet Volume One'' (Asian Improv, 1999) * '' Fred Anderson Quartet Volume Two'' (Asian Improv, 2000) * ''

On the Run, Live at the Velvet Lounge ''On the Run, Live at the Velvet Lounge'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson, which was recorded in 2000 at his Chicago club, the Velvet Lounge, and released on Delmark. He's backed by his regular rhythm section of bassist Ta ...

'' (Delmark, 2001) * ''

Back at the Velvet Lounge ''Back at the Velvet Lounge'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson, which was recorded in 2002 and released on Delmark. This second installment on Bob Koester's label of live recordings made at Fred's own club, the Velvet Loun ...

'' (Delmark, 2003) * '' Live at the Velvet Lounge Volume III'' (Asian Improv, 2008) * '' Birthday Live 2000'' (Asian Improv, 2009) * ''Quintessential Birthday Trio Vol. II'' (Asian Improv, 2015) * ''Fred Anderson Quartet Live Vol. IV'' (Asian Improv, 2016) * ''Tsukasa Taiko: Gintenkai'' (Asian Improv, 2017) * ''Fred Anderson Legacy Band'' (Asian Improv, 2018) * ''Live Vol. V'' (FPE, 2019) With the Miyumi Project * ''The Miyumi Project'' (Southport, 2000) * ''Rooted: Origins of Now'' (Southport, 2002) * ''Re:Rooted'' (Southport, 2006) * ''MIYUMI Project: RAW and ALIVE'' (Asian Improv, 2016) * ''And Then They Came for Us/Un-American'' (Asian Improv, 2017) * ''Reduction Ensemble - MIYUMI Project'' (Asian Improv, 2018) * ''MIYUMI Project: "RAW and ALIVE II"'' (Asian Improv, 2018) * ''Best of the MIYUMI Project'' (FPE, 2020) With others * Jeff Chan, ''Jeff Chan's Horns of Plenty'' (Asian Improv, 2009) *

, ''Fire with Von Freeman'' (Southport, 1996) *

Jason Kao Hwang Jason Kao Hwang (born 1957) is a Chinese American violinist and composer. He is known for his unconventional and improvisational jazz violin technique as well as his chamber opera '' The Floating Box: A Story in Chinatown'' which premiered in 200 ...

, ''Graphic Evidence'' (Asian Improv, 2006) * Kenny Millions, ''Midnight in Chicago'' (Hum Ha, 2002) * Kenny Millions, ''Kenny Meets Tatsu'' (Hum Ha, 2002) * Nicole Mitchell, ''Mandorla Awakening II: Emerging Worlds'' (FPE, 2017) *

, '' First Look, Chicago Duos'' (Southport, 2005) *

, '' A Symphony of Cities'' (Southport, 2002) *

Francis Wong Francis Wong () is an American jazz saxophonist, flutist, and ''erhu'' player. Wong is of Chinese descent; his father is from Shanghai and his mother is Cantonese. He specializes in the fusion of free jazz and Asian musics, and is a central membe ...

, ''Chicago Time Code'' (Asian Improv, 1995) *

, ''Early Abstractions'' (Estrada Poznanska, 2009) *

, ''Wojtck Trio'' (Asian Improv, 2013) *

, ''Miyoshi Sketches'' (Asian Improv, 2017) *

Edward Wilkerson Edward L. Wilkerson Jr. (born July 27, 1953 in Terre Haute, Indiana) is an internationally recognized American jazz composer, arranger, musician, and educator based in Chicago. As founder and director of the cutting-edge octet 8 Bold Souls, and th ...

, ''that's what it WAZ'' (Asian Improv, 2017) * Rami Atassi, ''atashi wa rami'' (Asian Improv, 2020)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aoki, Tatsu 1957 births Living people Musicians from Tokyo 21st-century double-bassists American musicians of Japanese descent Art Institute of Chicago Japanese emigrants to the United States Japanese jazz double-bassists School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni