Harlem Dreams review by Swing Journal

An up-coming female organist who studied under Dr. Lonnie Smith. (by Keiichi Konishi)

In general, the sound of jazz organ conjures up the image of A muscular and thick voice driven by a dynamic and powerful groove. This is perhaps part of the reason why there have been only so many female artists in this genre, which includes Shirley Scott, Barbara Dennerlein and Kiyomi Otaka, with the remaining majority being represented by men. Against all the odds, nevertheless, Akiko Tsuruga courageously walks into the world of jazz organ. Since she moved to New York in 2001, numerous magazines have written articles on her. Her organ playing, which was taught to her by the master, Dr. Lonnie Smith and affected by her feministic sensitivity, is reflected in her serene and smooth sound. Still, on track #6 which is her original composition, and on an all time favorite tune track #7, she shows her aggressive side with hard driven grooves. This debut album features the respected jazz drummer, Grady Tate, the master saxophonist/flutist, Frank Wes and her fellow musician in New York, Satoshi Inoue. She also considers Japanese listeners and hence includes their favorite tunes (tracks 2, 7 and 12). Her own way of being elegant can be heard on track #10. The two pieces she wrote in the album seem promising as well. The album shows the multitude of her talent and seems to signify an addition of a new figure to Japanese female jazz artists. This soon to be released album is for relaxation. (by Takao Ogawa) Among the female favored organists are Shirley Scott and Barbara Dennerlein. However, there have been rarely any such players among Japanese artists. This is even more evident when it comes to the musicians in New York who are active in recordings with the native players in the area. This album satisfies listeners by going beyond their expectations. Unknown to many, nonetheless, Akiko Tsuruga's performance, which has been strongly influenced by Jimmy Smith, shows some integrity and soulfulness. Still she doesn't sound too rigid. She seems to be pushing the envelop of organ literature, which made this album sound mature and exciting. The other musicians who recorded this album are also promising, such as Grady Tate whose performing history with Jimmy Smith goes back a long way, and his appearance resulted in a great success for this album. Additionally, Frank Wes, who hasn't been heard on records for a while seems to have made a statement about his unchanged musical supremacy. Another sideman, Satoshi Inoue takes an ideal and interesting role in the album lineup. This album turned out to be the perfect mode for relaxation.