Art in the Family
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"Art in the Family: Find out how Tatsu Aoki's early life shaped his career in music."
from WTTW(Channel 11): Tatsu Aoki, Made in Japan
Biography
Tatsu Aoki
is one of the most recorded, talked-about bassists on the Chicago music
scene. A prolific artist, composer, musician, educator and a consummate
bassist, he works in a wide range of musical styles, ranging from traditional
Asian music and jazz, to creative free and experimental music.
Aoki is founder and artistic director of the Chicago Asian American Jazz
Festival, which debuted in October 1996 and had six straight successful
seasons. Currently national in scope, the annual event is now known as
"Asian American Jazz," and is held in several cities (San Francisco,
Chicago). The 2007 Chicago celebration is scheduled for October.
Aoki has recorded eight bass albums, eight duet albums with various
other artists, 13 ensemble works, and has appeared as a guest artist on
over 60 other albums internationally. With works ranging from solo to
larger ensemble, from mainstream to avant garde, Aoki has worked with
many musical legends, including Fred Anderson, Von Freeman, George Freeman,
Malachi Favors Maghostut, Don Moye, Mwata Bowden, Jhon Watson, Sonny Seals,
Eric Leonardson, Francis Wong and Carol Genetti.
Among the variety of works produced in the last 15 years, his solo bass
performance and recordings are internationally acclaimed, and known for
one of the most innovative approaches of the bass instrument.
Aoki, who was named president of Asian Improv Records (AIR) in 1999, served
as executive producer on Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra piece,
Ellington-Strayhorn's "Far East Suite," (AIR0053), for which
the label received a Grammy Award nomination in 1999.
As a producer, Aoki has produced over 30 albums, including the legendary
Max Roach and Jon Jang’s “Beijing Trio,” (AIR 0044), as
well as projects in the hip hop arena, and a number of other projects
in the Asian Pacific American arts, such as film and concert series.
Aoki's most prolific work to date is, "ROOTED: Origins of Now,"
a four-suite, approximately 50-minute piece, which featured for its world
premiere on August 26, 2001, a 12-piece big band in performance at Ping
Tom Memorial Park in Chicago's Chinatown. Subsequent full house performances
followed on September 1, 2001 at the Chicago Jazz Fest in Grant Park,
and on October 27, 2001 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, as the highlight
of Asian American Jazz Festival 2001: Chicago.
Citing "ROOTED" as the most important work of his career, Aoki
was recently named one of 16 inspirational "Chicagoans of the year"
by the Chicago Tribune (December 30, 2001.) The Tribune stated that "ROOTED"
had "come into its own as an eloquent, often dramatic merger of ancient
Japanese music and experimental American jazz."
"ROOTED: Origins of Now" the CD (S-SSD 0092 October 2001) is
a project of The Jazz Institute of Chicago Sound Archive and Recordings,
and is available via distributors SOUTHPORT and Asian Improv Records.
As a producer, the Aoki name is behind a number of other significant projects
in the arts, including recordings, film and concert series. Born in Japan
the son of artisans, Tatsu Aoki is a graduate of The School of the Art
Institute of Chicago, where he received bachelor and master of fine arts
degrees, and where he is currently an assistant professor in film.
