The Jazz Organ Scene

Japan

土田ハル (Hal Tsuchida) Hal is a jazz and blues organist, pianist, composer, and arranger. He was born and raised in Yokohama, but at age twenty he moved to the USA. There 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, the Chicago Blues Festival, the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, OR, the Baltimore Blues Festival, the Taste of Chicago, and several other festivals as well.   The album "The Cat" from Jimmy Smith led him in 2005 to change from the piano to the Hammond organ. He 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).   After living in the US for 11 years, he moved back 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.   In December 2015, he moved back to Japan for a teaching job at Keio University and his new musical activities.

contact:	harunobut@hotmail.com
homepage:	haltsuchida.com
	Click on the logo to see Hal's tour dates.

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