The Hal Tsuchida Trio • Midnight Shuffle

Jazz and blues organist, pianist, composer, and arranger. He studied jazz piano with Willie Pickens at Northern Illinois University where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Jazz Studies). He earned a Master of Music in Jazz Studies (Composition) and a Performance Certificate from DePaul University.

He has performed with many musicians including Billy Branch, Eddie C Campbell, Bo Diddley, Little Arthur Duncan, George Freeman, Phil Guy, Jeff Hamilton, Harold Jones, Bob Lark, RJ Mischo, Joe Moss, Nick Moss, Pinetop Perkins, Tim Ries, Lynwood Slim, Little Mack Simmons, Ira Sullivan, Junior Watson, Phil Woods, and the list goes on. As a blues pianist, he has been playing with numerous bands. He has performed at the Chicago Hope Festival (w/ Bo Diddley & Billy Branch, 2000), the Chicago Blues Festival (w/ Rob Stone, 2002), the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland OR (w/ Phil Guy, 2002 and w/ Nick Moss, 2002), the Baltimore Blues Festival (w/ Nick Moss, 2002), the Taste of Chicago (w/ Phil Guy, 2008), and several other festivals as well. He has recorded the CDs "Got a New Plan" (w/ Nick Moss, Blue Bella Records, 2001), and "Movin' Out" (w/ Chicago Blues Angels, Blue Bella Records, 2001). He has appeared on the Fox Chicago Morning News (w/ Bo Diddley, 2000), and the blues shows Speakin' of the Blues on TV (w/ Arthur Duncan, 2002 and w/ Eomot RaSan, 2003).

He has studied jazz organ with Tony Monaco and Chris Foreman, and he has been leading his jazz organ trio. He released his first CD "Midnight Shuffle" (2006) with his jazz organ trio. He has regularly played with the George Freeman Trio for three years. He has performed with his jazz organ trio at the jazz festival Jazz in the Park in Gary IN (2008, 2009) and The 14th Annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival (2009). He released his second CD "Next Time You See Me" (2010) with his jazz organ trio.

After living in the US for 11 years, he moved to Japan in June 2010. He was active as a musician and an educator. He has performed at many clubs and festivals including Shinjuku Traditional Jazz Festival (2010, 2013), Yokohama Jazz Promenade (2011), Chiba Bayside Jazz Festival (2011), Asagaya Jazz Festival (2011, 2012), Takasago Jazz Festival (2012), and Shinjuku Spring Jazz Festival (2012, 2013).

In July 2013, he moved to Berlin, Germany. He has already played in Czech Republic, Italy, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden as well as Germany and performed with well-known musicians including Torsten Goods, Tony Lakatos, Nils Landgren, Magnus Lindgren, Bjørn Solli, Peter Weniger and Petter Wettre. His new CD "Swingin' with the Hammond Organ / Hal Tsuchida & European Friends" was released by Mons Records in the spring 2015.

In December 2015, he moved back to Japan from Germany for a teaching job at Keio University and his new musical activities.
https://haltsuchida.com/biography

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Organista, pianista, compositor y arreglista de jazz y blues. Estudió piano de jazz con Willie Pickens en la Universidad de Illinois del Norte, donde obtuvo una licenciatura de música en interpretación (estudios de jazz). Obtuvo una Maestría en Música en Estudios de Jazz (Composición) y un Certificado de Interpretación de la Universidad DePaul.

Ha tocado con muchos músicos, entre ellos Billy Branch, Eddie C Campbell, Bo Diddley, Little Arthur Duncan, George Freeman, Phil Guy, Jeff Hamilton, Harold Jones, Bob Lark, RJ Mischo, Joe Moss, Nick Moss, Pinetop Perkins, Tim Ries, Lynwood Slim, Little Mack Simmons, Ira Sullivan, Junior Watson, Phil Woods, y la lista continúa. Como pianista de blues, ha tocado con numerosas bandas. Ha actuado en el Chicago Hope Festival (con Bo Diddley y Billy Branch, 2000), el Chicago Blues Festival (con Rob Stone, 2002), el Waterfront Blues Festival en Portland, Oregon (con Phil Guy, 2002 y con Nick Moss, 2002), el Baltimore Blues Festival (con Nick Moss, 2002), el Taste of Chicago (con Phil Guy, 2008), y varios otros festivales. Ha grabado los CDs "Got a New Plan" (con Nick Moss, Blue Bella Records, 2001), y "Movin' Out" (con Chicago Blues Angels, Blue Bella Records, 2001). Ha aparecido en el Fox Chicago Morning News (con Bo Diddley, 2000), y en los programas de blues Speakin' of the Blues de la TV (con Arthur Duncan, 2002 y con Eomot RaSan, 2003).

Ha estudiado órgano de jazz con Tony Monaco y Chris Foreman, y ha estado dirigiendo su trío de órgano de jazz. Publicó su primer CD "Midnight Shuffle" (2006) con su trío de órgano de jazz. Ha tocado regularmente con el George Freeman Trio durante tres años. Ha actuado con su trío de órgano de jazz en el festival de jazz Jazz in the Park en Gary IN (2008, 2009) y en el 14º Festival Anual de Jazz Asiático-Americano de Chicago (2009). Publicó su segundo CD "Next Time You See Me" (2010) con su trío de órgano de jazz.

Después de vivir en los EE.UU. durante 11 años, se trasladó a Japón en junio de 2010. Fue activo como músico y educador. Ha actuado en muchos clubes y festivales, incluyendo el Festival de Jazz Tradicional de Shinjuku (2010, 2013), el Paseo de Jazz de Yokohama (2011), el Festival de Jazz de Chiba Bayside (2011), el Festival de Jazz de Asagaya (2011, 2012), el Festival de Jazz de Takasago (2012), y el Festival de Jazz de Primavera de Shinjuku (2012, 2013).

En julio de 2013, se trasladó a Berlín, Alemania. Ya ha tocado en la República Checa, Italia, Noruega, Eslovaquia, Suecia, así como en Alemania, y ha actuado con músicos conocidos como Torsten Goods, Tony Lakatos, Nils Landgren, Magnus Lindgren, Bjørn Solli, Peter Weniger y Petter Wettre. Su nuevo CD "Swingin' with the Hammond Organ / Hal Tsuchida & European Friends" fue lanzado por Mons Records en la primavera de 2015.

En diciembre de 2015, regresó a Japón desde Alemania para un trabajo de profesor en la Universidad de Keio y sus nuevas actividades musicales.
https://haltsuchida.com/biography

haltsuchida.com

 

Hal Tsuchida • Swingin' with the Hammond Organ

Album Review:

Hal Tsuchida from Yokohama, Japan, is a jazz and blues organist, pianist, composer and arranger. His career as a professional musician began while studying jazz piano under Willie Pickens at the Northern Illinois University. This was followed by a master's degree in composition and a Performance Certificate from DePaul University. Thus equipped, he delved deep into the Chicago jazz and blues scene, playing with artists such as Billy Branch, Eddie C. Campbell, Bo Diddley, George Freeman, and Phil Guy to name but a few. As a band member, he got to know numerous festival stages from Chicago to Baltimore to Portland, and founded his own jazz organ trio. For eleven years, the US jazz and blues scene was the creative heart of his work. In 2006, his debut album Midnight Shuffle was released, followed by Next Time You See Me in 2010.

In June 2010, Hal Tsuchida returned to Japan where he earned his status as a jazz and blues organist, and where his musicianship was recognized and praised at numerous clubs and festivals.

In July 2013 he decided to move to Berlin. The European jazz and blues scene with its diversity of musical trends magically attracted him. He quickly became a part of this electrifying scene and began to contribute and develop his cosmopolitan experiences. He met musicians with a similar musical background to his own, musicians who shared his love for Hammond organ jazz and blues and who replenished it with their musical feeling.

The idea for the present album Swingin' with the Hammond Organ began to blossom in Hal Tsuchida. When asked for the reasons, he answered "together with my friends from Germany and the Czech Republic, who love the sound of Hammond organ jazz as much as me, I wanted to retrace my musical path and to unite our experiences and differing traditions on a CD. During my time in Chicago, I often played in bands that were heavily influenced by the sound of the 50's and 60's. This strongly influenced me as well. My heroes on the organ are legends such as Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Don Patterson and Richard "Groove" Holmes. I come from this tradition and wanted to adapt this typical sound for Europe and make it tangible".

And that is what Hal Tsuchida (Hammond organ) with his allies Torsten Goods and Libor Šmoldas (guitar), Tobias Backhaus and Tomáš Hobzek (drums) and Karel Ruzicka Jr. (tenor saxophone) have so impressively and thrillingly succeeded in doing. Their patent remedy is as simple as it is ingenious: "I want to pay my tribute to those who have so heavily influenced my style on the Hammond organ. We took songs by legendary Hammond organ players and composers from their genre, then interpreted and recorded them our way. There are songs by Jimmy Smith like 'I'll Drink To That' and 'Off the Top' alongside jazz standards such as 'These Foolish Things', pure blues numbers like 'Midnight Creeper' or 'Tyrone' by Larry Young, as well as the Motown hit 'What's Going On' by Marvin Gaye.

Swingin' with the Hammond Organ can with justification be called a 'favorite songs collection' which documents the authentic sound, the unique groove and the musical brilliance of this extraordinary band.

https://www.challengerecords.com/products/1428662349

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Reseña del álbum:

Hal Tsuchida de Yokohama, Japón, es organista, pianista, compositor y arreglista de jazz y blues. Su carrera como músico profesional comenzó mientras estudiaba piano de jazz con Willie Pickens en la Universidad del Norte de Illinois. A esto le siguió una maestría en composición y un Certificado de Interpretación de la Universidad DePaul. Así equipado, profundizó en la escena del jazz y el blues de Chicago, tocando con artistas como Billy Branch, Eddie C. Campbell, Bo Diddley, George Freeman y Phil Guy, por nombrar sólo algunos. Como miembro de la banda, conoció numerosos escenarios de festivales desde Chicago a Baltimore y a Portland, y fundó su propio trío de órgano de jazz. Durante once años, la escena estadounidense de jazz y blues fue el corazón creativo de su trabajo. En 2006, se publicó su álbum debut Midnight Shuffle, seguido de Next Time You See Me en 2010.

En junio de 2010, Hal Tsuchida regresó a Japón donde se ganó su estatus de organista de jazz y blues, y donde su maestría musical fue reconocida y alabada en numerosos clubes y festivales.

En julio de 2013 decidió mudarse a Berlín. La escena europea de jazz y blues con su diversidad de tendencias musicales le atrajo mágicamente. Rápidamente se convirtió en parte de esta electrizante escena y comenzó a contribuir y desarrollar sus experiencias cosmopolitas. Conoció a músicos con una formación musical similar a la suya, músicos que compartían su amor por el jazz y el blues de órgano Hammond y que lo reponían con su sentimiento musical.

La idea del presente álbum "Swingin' with the Hammond Organ" comenzó a florecer en Hal Tsuchida. Cuando se le preguntó por las razones, respondió "junto con mis amigos de Alemania y la República Checa, que aman el sonido del jazz con órgano Hammond tanto como yo, quería volver a trazar mi camino musical y unir nuestras experiencias y tradiciones diferentes en un CD". Durante mi estancia en Chicago, a menudo tocaba en bandas muy influenciadas por el sonido de los años 50 y 60. Esto también me influyó mucho. Mis héroes en el órgano son leyendas como Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, Don Patterson y Richard "Groove" Holmes. Vengo de esta tradición y quise adaptar este sonido típico para Europa y hacerlo tangible".

Y eso es lo que Hal Tsuchida (órgano Hammond) con sus aliados Torsten Goods y Libor Þmoldas (guitarra), Tobias Backhaus y Tomás Hobzek (batería) y Karel Ruzicka Jr. (saxofón tenor) han logrado de manera impresionante y emocionante. Su remedio patentado es tan simple como ingenioso: "Quiero rendir homenaje a aquellos que han influido tanto en mi estilo en el órgano Hammond. Tomamos las canciones de los legendarios organistas y compositores de Hammond de su género, y luego las interpretamos y grabamos a nuestra manera. Hay canciones de Jimmy Smith como 'I'll Drink To That' y 'Off the Top' junto a estándares de jazz como 'These Foolish Things', números de blues puro como 'Midnight Creeper' o 'Tyrone' de Larry Young, así como el éxito de la Motown 'What's Going On' de Marvin Gaye.

Swingin' with the Hammond Organ puede ser llamado con justificación una 'colección de canciones favoritas' que documenta el sonido auténtico, el ritmo único y la brillantez musical de esta extraordinaria banda.

https://www.challengerecords.com/products/1428662349

haltsuchida.com