Tatsu Aoki

Tatsu Aoki is a leading advocate for the Asian American community, as well as a prolific composer and performer of traditional and experimental music forms, a filmmaker, and an educator. Born in 1958, Tokyo to a traditional Geisha performing family, he started performing at the age of four as a part of his family’s performance crew. Here he received the essence of traditional Tokyo geisha cultural training and studies, which combines history with creativity. By the early 1970s, Aoki was active in Tokyo’s underground arts movement as well as a member of an experimental ensemble that combined traditional music and new Western forms. In 1979, Aoki emigrated to Chicago and started his musical career as a traditional Japanese lute player and contemporary experimentalist playing double bass and shamisen. Aoki was named one of 2001’s "Chicagoans of the year" by Chicago Tribune for his music for his cross-cultural music and is most noted for being the long-standing bassist for Chicago’s late great legend Fred Anderson, generating eight albums with the saxophonist. Sustaining a tireless work-ethic, he has released over 80 recording projects in the last 35 years. 

He is a co-founder and the Artistic Director of the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival, which will be celebrating its Silver twenty-fifth anniversary (2020). His individual achievements not-with-standing, Aoki is a world-renowned performer on the double bass and shamisen lute. His continuous and intense endeavors have resulted in awards from multiple cultural and musical organizations for his cross-cultural collaborations. Last year (2019) Aoki was part of Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble, performing on the world tour of her “Mandorla Awakening II” project; and was also awarded the 2019 Community Service award from the Asian American Coalition of Chicago for his continued leadership and contribution to the community.

He recently was awarded the 2020 United States Artist Fellowship for his work as a traditional music artist, composer, and educator.

He continues to be based in Chicago, working internationally in a wide range of musical genres including Japanese traditional music, experimental, and creative jazz, his projects ranging from puppetry, neoclassical Japanese dance, and experimental dance films.