1981 · Album
Tuttie Flutie
Recorded 1980 · Discomate (Japan) · Personnel: Toshiko Akiyoshi Trio with Flute Quartet ([Louise DiTullio], [Susan Greenburg], and others; [Bob Bowman] bass, [Joey Baron] drums)
Four Flutes Meet the Piano Trio
A playful collision between a swinging piano trio and a delicate flute choir that somehow feels inevitable.
The first thing you hear on Tuttie Flutie is the piano establishing the groove while four flutes enter together, their voices blending into something between a classical wind ensemble and a jazz front line. It's an unusual setup—not quite a standard quartet, not quite a chamber arrangement—and the album spends its runtime exploring what happens when you trust the idea enough to commit it to tape. The piano trio (with Toshiko Akiyoshi on keys) provides the harmonic spine and rhythmic energy, swinging in the way trios do, while the flutes orbit above: sometimes in unison, sometimes splitting into harmonies, always moving with the suppleness of instruments that can breathe freely. The mood shifts track to track between playful and meditative, but never precious. The recording itself is intimate—you can hear the air around each instrument. There's no pretense here, just musicians exploring a specific sonic idea with genuine curiosity. This sits outside Akiyoshi's larger orchestral work, which she was known for by this point. Instead it's a chamber project, smaller in scope but focused and deliberate in execution. The Discomate release suggests this was a Japan-based session, which may explain why it circulated less widely than her American recordings. For listeners already familiar with Akiyoshi's writing and arranging, this is worth seeking out as a rare look at her in a more intimate setting.
Who's playing
Bob Bowmanbass
Louise DiTullioflute
Susan Greenburgflute
MONDAY満ちるflute
Geraldine Rotellaflute
Joey Barondrums
Toshiko Akiyoshi Trioperformer
Flute Quartetperformer
