Atsuko Hashimoto - Career

Career

Hashimoto first played the organ at the age of four, beginning with popular songs and jazz standards. Before choosing to specialize in jazz she trained in classical music for several years. At 18, she began working for Hammond Japan demonstrating organs and giving lessons as a Hammond-certified instructor.

In 1991, Hashimoto became the house organ player at the Don Shop in Osaka. The next year, she fronted her own organ quartet at the Osaka Jazz Festival and Naniwa Arts Festival. These appearances led to collaborations with Makoto Ozone and Terumasa Hino.

In 1999, Hashimoto debuted in the US, playing at clubs in New Orleans as well as Jazz at Pearl's in San Francisco, where she performed with Bruce Forman on guitar and Vince Lateano on drums. In 2000, she toured Japan with "Brother" Jack McDuff and his band, and in September that year shared the bill with Dr. Lonnie Smith at Blue Note Osaka. 2001 saw Atsuko return to California, playing at the San Jose Jazz Festival, The Baked Potato in Studio City and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz. She played at the 2001 Jazz Organ Summit with Yutaka Hashimoto and Fukushi Tainaka.

In 2002, while he was touring Japan with Diana Krall, Jeff Hamilton first heard from other musicians about the electrifying Atsuko Hashimoto "holding court" at the Don Shop, enthralling audiences while playing jazz after hours. Following his set in Osaka, Hamilton went to hear her play and after a few songs, he asked and was invited to sit in with her on stage for a 'jam'. Hamilton has said the experience resolved in him a desire to tour and record with Hashimoto. Hashimoto and Hamilton have recorded two CDs together, touring to support the recordings.

In 2003, at the 40th Naniwa Arts Festival in Osaka, Atsuko received the Shoji Nakayama Jazz Award, the Progressive Musician's Prize, and awards from both the governor of Osaka Prefecture and the mayor of the city of Osaka.

Club Manhattan in Osaka hosted Atsuko Hashimoto in 2004.

September 2006, was a very busy month for the artist. September 5, Atsuko and Yutaka Hashimoto recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles accompanied by Jeff Hamilton. Houston Person swapped in for Yutaka Hashimoto on a second collection of songs. The extended recording session resulted in both the Thousand Days Records album Time After Time, released March 5, 2008 and the Azica Records album Introducing Atsuko Hashimoto, released February 12, 2008. The next day, on September 6, Atsuko Hashimoto, Jeff Hamilton and Houston Person performed at San Diego Museum of Art where they received a standing ovation. On September 8, Hashimoto appeared at the White Noise Music Festival in Sacramento. On September 10, 2006 at the Jazzschool in Berkeley, Atsuko and Yutaka Hashimoto were joined by Juasa Kanoh on drums. Late in September, Atsuko and Yutaka Hashimoto were invited to the 12th West Coast Jazz Party in Irvine, California. There Mrs. Hashimoto played two sets with Jeff Hamilton on drums: one with Yutaka Hashimoto and Ron Eschete trading licks on guitar and one with Houston Person on tenor saxophone—the latter group billed as "Organ Magic Trio." They also played at the LAX Crowne Plaza Hotel's Brasserie Lounge in Los Angeles and Steamers Jazz Club in Fullerton.

At the 50th Monterey Jazz Festival in September 2007, Atsuko Hashimoto took part in the "Hammond B-3 Blowout" featuring the Joey DeFrancesco Trio and the Atsuko Hashimoto Trio. Her trio included Houston Person and Jeff Hamilton; the two trios were said to "blow out the Night Club." Prior to the Monterey date, Hashimoto appeared at Centrum (also known as Port Townsend Jazz Festival), Steamers Jazz Club, the Brasserie Lounge and the Pasadena Jazz Institute where Ron Eschete covered guitar.

At the 8th Newport Beach Jazz Party (a sister event to the West Coast Jazz Party) on February 17, 2008 Atsuko Hashimoto, Jeff Hamilton and Houston Person played a set billed as "International Power Trio". The next day, the Atsuko Hashimoto Organ Trio played Pasadena Jazz Institute, featuring Yutaka Hashimoto on guitar and Jeff Hamilton on drums. On February 22, 2008 Atsuko Hashimoto and Jeff Hamilton joined tenor saxophonist Red Holloway at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho.