Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

tenor saxophonist and flutist. He is married to 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. ...

with whom he has co-led large ensembles since the 1970s.

Biography

Tabackin started learning flute at age 12, followed by tenor saxophone at age 15. He has cited Al Cohn and

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...

as influences on saxophone, while his flute role models include classical players such as William Kincaid,

Julius Baker Julius Baker (September 23, 1915 – August 6, 2003) was one of the foremost American orchestral flute players. During the course of five decades he concertized with several of America's premier orchestral ensembles including the Chicago Sympho ...

, and Jean-Pierre Rampal. Tabackin studied flute at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and also studied music with composer Vincent Persichetti. In 1962 he graduated from the Conservatory and after serving with the U.S. Army worked with Tal Farlow. He also worked with Chuck Israels in New York City and a band that included

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebra ...

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop m ...

, and Roland Hanna. Later he was a member of '' The Dick Cavett Show'' band and The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen. He moved from New York to California with ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 2010� ...

'' in 1972. During this time he played with Shelly Manne and Billy Higgins. Tabackin met

in 1967 while he was playing in Clark Terry's band and she was invited to sit in for Don Friedman. They formed a quartet in the late 1960s, married in 1969, and in 1973 co-founded the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band in Los Angeles, which later became the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin, playing bebop in

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...

-influenced arrangements and compositions by Akiyoshi. Tabackin was principal soloist for the band from 1973 through 2003. Critic

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born October 4, 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author. Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Since 1974, he was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles a ...

describes Tabackin as "one of the few jazz musicians who has been able to develop completely different musical personalities on two instruments", with his forceful

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gosp ...

style on sax contrasting with his delicate flute playing.

Jazz Foundation of America

Tabackin supports the

Jazz Foundation of America The Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) is a non-profit organization based in Manhattan, New York that was founded in 1989. Its programs seek to help jazz and blues musicians in need of emergency funds and connect them with performance opportunitie ...

in its mission to help elderly jazz and blues musicians, including those affected by Hurricane Katrina. He has sat on the Advisory Committee of the Foundation since 2002.

Discography

As leader or co-leader

* ''Tabackin'' (Inner City, 1974) – also released as ''Let the Tape Roll'' (RCA) * ''Day Dream'' (RCA, 1976) * ''

Tenor Gladness ''Tenor Gladness'', is an album by saxophonists Lew Tabackin and Warne Marsh recorded in 1976 and originally released on the Japanese Disco Mate label before being released in the U. S. on Inner City Records.Godwin, MDiscography of Warne Marion Ma ...

'' with Warne Marsh (Discomate , Inner City, 1976) * ''Dual Nature'' (Inner City, 1976) * ''Trackin' '' (RCA, 1976) * ''Rites of Pan'' (Discomate/Inner City, 1977) * ''Vintage Tenor'' (RCA, 1978) – with

Toshiyuki Miyama Toshiyuki Miyama (October 31, 1921 – May 24, 2016) was a Japanese jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Career Miyama played in a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force band during World War II. After the war, he joined the Lucky Puppy Orchestra. He le ...

And His New Herd * ''Lew Tabackin Meets the Tadpoles'' (Insights, 1979) * ''Black and Tan Fantasy'' (Discomate , Ascent , Jazz America Marketing (JAM), 1979) * '' Phil Woods/Lew Tabackin'' (Omnisound , Evidence, 1980) * ''Threedom'' (Discomate, 1980) * ''Duo: John Lewis & Lew Tabackin'' (

Toshiba EMI , formerly , was one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. on June 30, 2007, after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. Its CEO and president was Kazuhiko Koike. W ...

, 1981) * ''My Old Flame'' (

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geograp ...

, 1982) * ''Lew Tabackin Quartet with Randy Brecker,...'' (Toshiba EMI, 1983) * ''Angelica'' (Toshiba EMI, 1985) * ''Desert Lady'' ( Concord, 1989) * ''I'll Be Seeing You'' (Concord, 1992) * ''What a Little Moonlight Can Do'' (Concord, 1994) * ''Live at Vartan's'' (Vartan Jazz, 1994) * ''L' Archiduc - Round About Five'' ( Igloo Jazz, 1996) * ''Tenority'' (Concord, 1996) * ''In a Sentimental Mood'' (Camerata , Insights, 1998) * ''Pyramid'' (Koch Jazz, 1999) * ''Tanuki's Night Out - Lew Tabackin Trio'' (2002) * '' Vintage: Duke Ellington Songbook'' (T-toc Records, 2008) – with Toshiko Akiyoshi * ''Live in Paris - Lew Tabackin Trio'' (2008) * ''Jazz na Hradě, Lew Tabackin Quartet'' (Multisonic, 2010) * ''Soundscapes'' (2016) * ''The Eternal Duo!'' (

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

, 2019) – with Toshiko Akiyoshi

Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band

* '' Kogun'' (1974) * '' Long Yellow Road'' (1975) * ''

Tales of a Courtesan (Oirantan) ''Tales of a Courtesan (Oirantan)'' is the third recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. It is also sometimes referred to by the title ''HANA KAI TAN'' () in '' rōmaji'' listings of the Japanese album title. All tracks fr ...

'' (1975) also known as ''HANA KAI TAN'' (花魁譚) * '' Road Time'' (1976) * '' Insights'' (1976) * '' March of the Tadpoles'' (1977) * '' Live at Newport '77'' (1977) * '' Live at Newport II'' (1977) * '' Salted Gingko Nuts'' (1978) also known as ''SHIO GIN NAN'' (塩銀杏) * '' Sumi-e'' (1979) * ''

Farewell Farewell or fare well is a parting phrase. The terms may also refer to: Places * Farewell, Missouri, a community in the United States * Farewell and Chorley, a location in the United Kingdom near Lichfield, site of the former Farewell Priory Fil ...

'' (1980) * '' From Toshiko with Love'' (1981) also released as ''Tanuki's Night Out'' * ''

European Memoirs ''European Memoirs'' (a.k.a. ''Memoir'' in Japan) is the tenth studio recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. Akiyoshi was nominated for a 1983 Grammy award in the Best Instrumental Arrangement category for the arrangement ...

'' (1982)

Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin

* '' Ten Gallon Shuffle'' (1984) * '' Wishing Peace'' (1986) * '' Carnegie Hall Concert'' (1992) * '' Desert Lady / Fantasy'' (1993) * '' Four Seasons of Morita Village'' (1996) * ''

Monopoly Game ''Monopoly Game'' is the sixth recording released by the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. The three tracks, "Kyoto Paradox", Caribbean Dream" and "Urban Rhapsody" make up the three part "Suite for Koto and Jazz Orchestra ...

'' (1998) * ''

Tribute to Duke Ellington ''Tribute to Duke Ellington'' is a big band jazz album recorded in New York in 1999 and is the seventh recording released by the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. The first three tracks make up the "Tribute To Duke Elling ...

'' (1999) * ''

Hiroshima - Rising from the Abyss is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

'' (2001) * ''

Last Live in Blue Note Tokyo ''Last Live in Blue Note Tokyo'' is the ninth recording released by the New York-based Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. Not to be confused with the 1997 Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio release, '' Live at Blue Note Tokyo '97''. Tra ...

'' (2003) * ''

Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra in Shanghai ''In Shanghai'' is a live concert recording made by the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin in October, 2010 in Shanghai. An audio CD version was released by Pony Canyon in Japan in January, 2011 and a DVD video version was ...

'' (2011)

Akiyoshi - Tabackin Big Band compilations

* '' Mosaic Select: Toshiko Akiyoshi - Lew Tabackin Big Band'' (

Mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

, 2008) * '' NOVUS Series '70: The Toshiko Akiyoshi - Lew Tabackin Big Band'' (BMG/Novus) * '' Eternal Best / Best 8'' (BMG) * ''

The Best of Toshiko Akiyoshi ''The Best of Toshiko Akiyoshi'' is a compilation album of songs taken from BMG Japan releases of the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band and the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. Track listing All songs orchestra ...

'' (BMG)

As sideman

With Toshiko Akiyoshi * '' Toshiko at Top of the Gate'' ( Nippon Columbia, 1969) * '' Toshiko Akiyoshi in Japan'' aka ''Long Yellow Road'' (

Toshiba , commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems ...

, 1970) * '' Jazz, the Personal Dimension'' ( Victor, 1971) * ''

Meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

'' (Dan, 1971) * '' Sumie'' (Victor, 1971) * ''

Yes, I Have No 4 Beat Today ''Yes, I Have No 4 Beat Today - Toshiko Akiyoshi with Brazilian Friends'' is a jazz album recorded by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi in 1995 and released by Nippon Crown Records. Track listing #" Once I Loved" ( Jobim) – 8:42 #"Pollination" ...

'' (

Nippon Crown is a Japanese record label established as Crown Records on 6 September 1963. It is a spin-off of Nippon Columbia and is owned by karaoke maker Daiichikosho. The record label singles which topped the Oricon Singles Chart are Kaze's "22-Sai no ...

, 1995) * '' Time Stream: Toshiko Plays Toshiko'' (Nippon Crown, 1996) * ''

50th Anniversary Concert in Japan ''50th Anniversary Concert in Japan'' (Japanese title, = ''American visit 50th anniversary commemorative Japanese performance'') is a live concert album recorded by jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi and released in Japan on the T-toc Record label. ...

'' (T-toc, 2006) With

* '' Fancy Free'' (Blue Note, 1969) * ''

Electric Byrd ''Electric Byrd'' is a jazz fusion album by Donald Byrd released by the Blue Note label in 1970.Huey, S. Allmusic Review: ''Electric Byrd''accessed 07 June 2010 Reception The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 4 stars and stated, ...

'' (Blue Note, 1970) * '' Kofi'' (Blue Note, 1995) With

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

*'' Central City Sketches'' (MusicMasters, 1987) With Harmonie Ensemble New York * ''Tchaikovsky, Ellington, Strayhorn: Nutcracker Suites'' (

Harmonia Mundi Harmonia Mundi is an independent record label which specializes in classical music, jazz, and world music (on the World Village label). It was founded in France in 1958 and is now a subsidiary of PIAS Entertainment Group. Its Latin name ''h ...

, 2013) * ''Henry Mancini: Music for Peter Gunn'' (Harmonia Mundi, 2014) With Shelly Manne * ''Plays Richard Rodgers' Musical "Rex"'' ( Discovery, 1976) * ''

Essence Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...

'' (

Galaxy A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar Sys ...

, 1977) With Duke Pearson * ''

Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band ''Introducing Duke Pearson's Big Band'' is the eleventh album by American pianist and arranger Duke Pearson, featuring big band performances recorded in 1967 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' (Blue Note, 1968) * '' Now Hear This'' (Blue Note, 1969) * '' I Don't Care Who Knows It'' (Blue Note, 1996) With

Carla White Carla Ruth White (September 15, 1951 – May 9, 2007) was an American jazz vocalist. Biography White was born in Oakland, California, and raised in New York City, where she studied jazz dance. She began singing and acting in high school. She mov ...

* ''Listen Here'' (

Evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, eviden ...

, 1991) * ''Mood Swings'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway, railway line, canal or border, boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the rou ...

, 1992) * ''The Sweetest Sounds'' ( DIW, 2000) With others * '' Ridin' High'',

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often serv ...

(Enterprise, 1967) * ''

The Jazz Composer's Orchestra The Jazz Composer's Orchestra was an American jazz group, founded by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler in 1965, to perform orchestral avant-garde jazz. Its origins lay in the Jazz Composers Guild, an organization founded by Bill Dixon which grew out ...

'',

Jazz Composer's Orchestra The Jazz Composer's Orchestra was an American jazz group, founded by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler in 1965, to perform orchestral avant-garde jazz. Its origins lay in the Jazz Composers Guild, an organization founded by Bill Dixon which grew out ...

(

ECM ECM may refer to: Economics and commerce * Engineering change management * Equity capital markets * Error correction model, an econometric model * European Common Market Mathematics * Elliptic curve method * European Congress of Mathematics ...

, 1968) * '' Jimmy Knepper in L.A.'', Jimmy Knepper (Discomate/

Inner City The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists somet ...

, 1977) * '' Jukin''', The Manhattan Transfer (Capitol, 1971) * ''White Heat'', Barry Miles (Mainstream, 1971) * ''Night Blooming'',

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

(Mainstream, 1972) * '' Small Change'', Tom Waits ( Asylum, 1976) * ''Ecue Ritmos Cubanos'',

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

(

Pablo Pablo is a Spanish form of the name Paul. People * Pablo Alborán, Spanish singer * Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer * Pablo Armero, Colombian footballer *Pablo Bartholomew, Indian photojournalist * Pablo Brandán, Argentine footballer * Pablo B ...

, 1977) * ''Shortcake'', Bill Berry ( Concord, 1978) * ''

Sweet Return ''Sweet Return'' is a studio album by List of jazz trumpeters, jazz trumpeter Freddie Hubbard recorded in June 1983 and released on the Atlantic Records label. Reception The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow calls the album "One of Freddie Hubbard' ...

'', Freddie Hubbard (Atlantic, 1983) * ''Central City Sketches'',

( Nimbus, 1987) * ''Blues-O-Matic'', John Colianni (Concord, 1988) * ''Take Your Pick'', Howard Alden (Concord, 1996) * ''Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell'', David Lahm ( Arkadia Jazz, 1999) * ''The Philadelphia Story'', Jimmy Amadie (TPR, 2007)

Video

* ''

My Elegy ''My Elegy'' is a concert video recording of the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin. It was released in Japan in 1984 by LaserDisc Corp. as a LaserVision video disk. Track listing All songs composed and orchestrated by Tos ...

'' (Pioneer LaserDisc, 1984) * '' Strive For Jive'' (V.I.E.W. Video, 1992) * '' In Shanghai'' (Pony Canyon, 2011) * ''The Eternal Duo!'' (Sony, 2019) – with Toshiko Akiyoshi

Awards and honors

'' DownBeat'' magazine Critic's Poll winner: * Jazz Album of the Year: 1978 ('' Insights'') * Big Band: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 * Flute: 1980, 1981, 2010 ''DownBeat'' magazine Readers' Poll winner: * Big Band: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 * Flute: 1981, 1982 Grammy Award nominations: * Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Big Band: 1976 ('' Long Yellow Road''), 1977 ('' Road Time''), 1978 ('' Insights''), 1979 ('' Kogun''), 1980 (''

''), 1981 (''

Tanuki's Night Out ''From Toshiko With Love'' is the twelfth recording released by the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band (ninth studio recording). It was released in Japan by Victor Records and in the U.S. (under the title ''Tanuki's Night Out'') by Jaz ...

''), 1984 ('' Ten Gallon Shuffle''), 1985 ('' March of the Tadpoles''), 1992 ('' Carnegie Hall Concert''), 1994 ('' Desert Lady / Fantasy'') ''Swing Journal'' awards: * Gold Disk: 1976 ('' Insights''), Silver Disk: 1974 ('' Kogun''), 1979 ('' Salted Gingko Nuts''), 1996 ('' Four Seasons of Morita Village'')

References

External links

Official site

"Fireside Chat" at All About Jazz

Interview by breakthruradio.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tabackin, Lew 1940 births Living people Musicians from Philadelphia American jazz bandleaders American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists American jazz flautists Big band bandleaders University of the Arts (Philadelphia) alumni 21st-century American saxophonists Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians The Tonight Show Band members American Jazz Orchestra members Igloo Records artists 21st-century flautists