MARIANO, Charli Saxes, flute, nadaswaram (a South Indian double-reed instrument), also teacher. Began on sax at 17, played in US Army, attended Berklee, played and recorded around Boston (see Nat Pierce), worked with Stan Kenton '53--5; to LA, working with Frank Rosolino, Shelly Manne, others. LPs '51--7 on Imperial, Prestige, Fantasy, Bethlehem, World Pacific with Herb Pomeroy, Jaki Byard, Rosolino, Manne, others. Mariano was married to Toshiko Akiyoshi; quartet LPs with her on Candid '60 and in Tokyo '63. He played on Charles Mingus LPs on Impulse '63, taught at Berklee c'65--71, worked with Radio Malaysia orchestra for several months, discovering the nadaswaram; lived mostly in Europe from '71, making trips to India to study music. He was obviously infl. by Charlie Parker but always open to new ideas, preferring Europe because experimentation there was less subject to commercial pressures. He was a member of the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble (on six LPs), Eberhard Weber's Colours (several LPs on ECM). Other LPs incl. three with Japanese musicians in Tokyo '67--8, incl. reedman Sadao Watanabe (b 1 Feb. '33; LPs on Inner City, Columbia; Parker's Mood on Elektra and Good Time For Love on WEA, both '86; in '90s on Denon); octet Cascade and Solos And Duos with Philip Catherine on Keytone '74; Reflektions '74 on Finnish RCA with Finnish musicians (and Sabu Martinez); The Door Is Open '75 by group Pork Pie with Catherine, Jaspar van't Hof, others, and Helen Twelvetrees '76 with Jack Bruce, Jan Hammer, others, both on MPS; sextet October on CMP/Inner City; Crystal Bells '79 on CMP, Tea For Four '80 on Finnish Leo, Some Kind Of Changes '82 on German Calig, Jyothi '83 on ECM with the Karnataka College of Percussion, The Charlie Mariano Group '85 on Mood. CDs incl. two vols of It's Standard Time with Tete Montoliu and Portrait Of Charlie Mariano on Fresh Sound, celebration Mariano & Friends: 70 '93 on Intuition with guests incl. van't Hof, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Aldo Romao, J. F. Jenny-Clark, many more.

AKIYOSHI, Toshiko Piano, highly regarded composer/arranger. Studied piano in Manchuria; to Japan '45 and played in dance halls; a record collector played Teddy Wilson's 'Sweet Lorraine' for her. Oscar Peterson heard her and was impressed; she recorded for Norman Granz with Oscar's rhythm section. To USA '56; album with then husband Charles Mariano Toshiko--Mariano Quartet; returned to Japan with him '61; back to USA; with Charles Mingus '62 (plays on Town Hall Concert). Long stays in Japan, visits to Europe '60s; with J. J. Johnson '64, at Newport Jazz Festival same year. Own radio show NYC; Town Hall debut '67 as leader, pianist, composer. Toured with second husband Lew Tabackin (reeds, flute; b Lewis Barry Tabackin, 26 May '40, Philadelphia PA) in quartet; they formed a workshop band which became the the Akiyoshi/Tabackin Big Band and won down beat polls; albums Kogun and Top Of The Gate were hits in Japan early '70s. Max Harrison has suggested that she took the torch of orchestral innovation in jazz from Don Ellis's hands; a fine pianist inspired by American music, keeping a band together for many years and writing all the music for it, she has been ignored by the American major labels: the two volumes of her Newport appearance '77 were available in France, Germany, Japan and Brazil, but not in the USA. Solo at Monterey Jazz Festival '73; with big band at Playboy Jazz Festival LA, Carnegie Hall '80. Albums incl. quartet and trio sets on Verve and other labels in '50s. Tales Of A Courtesan '75 on RCA; Notorious Tourist From The East on Inner City, Tribute To Billy Strayhorn on Jam, trio Finesse on Concord Jazz, all '78; trio Interlude '87 on Concord Jazz; quintet At The Top Of The Gate '86 on Denon. Big-band albums incl. Long Yellow Road '75 (won Record of the Year awards in down beat, Stereo Review); Insights and Road Time '76 (two-disc set); Sumi-e '79, Farewell To Mingus '80, Tanuki's Night Out '81; European Memoirs '82 on Baystate (hear her on 'Remembering Bud'), Wishing Peace '86 on their Ascent label. Other albums in the '90s: Remembering Bud '90 on Evidence, solo no. 36 in Concord's Maybeck Hall recital series; big-band sets on Ken (Wishing Peace), Novus (The Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band) and Columbia (Desert Lady -- Fantasy); Live At Carnegie Hall '92 incl. Tabackin and Freddie Hubbard.