Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band - Long Yellow Road (Remastered) (1975/2024)

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Toshiko Akiyoshi-Lew Tabackin Big Band - Long Yellow Road (Remastered) (1975/2024)

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Long Yellow Road is the second album by the Toshiko Akiyoshi – Lew Tabackin Big Band. It was named Best Jazz Album of the year by Stereo Review magazine. In 1976, the album received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band.

A 70s classic from the team of Toshiko Akioshi and Lew Tabackin – a duo who did for the jazz ensemble mode in their generation what Kenny Clarke and Francy Boland did in the 60s! The material here is wonderfully inventive – the kind of compositions that Toshiko wouldn't have even written in her smaller combo years – fleshed out here by a fantastic group that includes Lew Tabackin and Gary Foster on reeds, and Bobby Shew and Don Rader on trumpets – all in a setting where the voices of the individual members really get a lot of space to shine! Titles include "Since Perry", "Opus No Zero", "Long Yellow Road", "First Night", "Children In The Temple Ground", and "Yet Another Tear".

"Toshiko Akiyoshi's second big-band album (closely following Kogun) is a hard-swinging and consistently exciting set that has strong solos from the likes of trumpeter Don Rader, fluegelhornist Bobby Shew, altoist Gary Foster and Toshiko's husband Lew Tabackin on tenor in addition to the pianist/leader. Akiyoshi draws on her culture successfully on "Children in the Temple Ground" and shows throughout this memorable set (which deserves to be reissued on CD) that she had by this early point already developed into one of the most distinctive big-band arrangers around." (Scott Yanow, AMG)

Toshiko Akiyoshi, piano
Lew Tabackin, tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo
Stu Blumberg, trumpet (on "The First Night", Opus No. Zero" and "Children in the Temple Ground")
John Madrid, trumpet (on "Long Yellow Road")
Lynn Nicholson, trumpet (on "Quadrille Anyone?" and "Since Perry/Yet Another Tear")
Mike Price, trumpet
Don Rader, trumpet
Bobby Shew, trumpet
Charlie Loper, trombone
Bruce Paulson, trombone (except on "Long Yellow Road")
Jim Sawyer, trombone (on "Long Yellow Road")
Phil Teele, bass trombone
Britt Woodman, trombone
Dick Spencer, alto saxophone, flute, clarinet
Gary Foster, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet (except on "Opus No. Zero")
Joe Roccisano, alto saxophone (on "Opus No. Zero")
Tom Peterson, tenor saxophone, alto flute, clarinet
Bill Perkins, baritone saxophone, alto flute, bass clarinet
Gene Cherico, bass
Peter Donald, drums (except on "Opus No. Zero" and "Since Perry/Yet Another Tear")
Chuck Flores, drums (on "Opus No. Zero" and "Since Perry/Yet Another Tear")
Tokuko Kaga, vocal (on "Children in the Temple Ground")