Birth name Lewis Barry Tabackin Years active 1962 โ Name Lew Tabackin | Occupation(s) Musician Role Flutist ยท lewtabackin.com | |
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Born March 26, 1940 (age 84) Philadelphia, PA, USA ( 1940-03-26 ) Origin Philadelphia and New York City Albums Vintage, Long Yellow Road, The Toshiko Trio, Road Time - Toshiko Akiyoshi, Tribute to Duke Ellington | ||
Autumn sea with toshiko akiyoshi lew tabackin claudio roditi intl jazzday 2014
Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is a jazz flutist and tenor saxophonist. He is married to pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi.
Contents
- Autumn sea with toshiko akiyoshi lew tabackin claudio roditi intl jazzday 2014
- Conversation by john coltrane lew tabackin m2t
- Biography
- Jazz Foundation of America
- Awards and honors
- References

Conversation by john coltrane lew tabackin m2t
Biography

Tabackin first took up the flute at the age of 12, followed by the tenor saxophone at age 15. He has citied Al Cohn and Coleman Hawkins as influences on his sax playing, while his flute role models include classical players such as William Kincaid, Julius Baker, and Jean-Pierre Rampal. Tabackin studied flute at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and also studied music with composer Vincent Persichetti. In 1962 he graduated from the Conservatory and, after a stint with the U.S. Army, worked with Tal Farlow. He also worked with Chuck Israels in New York City, and a combo that included Elvin Jones, Donald Byrd, and Roland Hanna. Later he would have a chair in The Dick Cavett Show's band and The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen. Tabackin moved from New York to California when The Tonight Show relocated in 1972. During this time he played with Shelly Manne and Billy Higgins, among others.

Tabackin met Toshiko Akiyoshi in 1967 while he was playing in Clark Terry's band and she was invited to sit in for Don Friedman. They formed a quartet in the late 1960s, married in 1969, and in 1973 co-founded the Toshiko Akiyoshi โ Lew Tabackin Big Band in Los Angeles, which later became the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra featuring Lew Tabackin, playing bebop in Duke Ellington-influenced arrangements and compositions by Akiyoshi. Tabackin was principal soloist for the big band/orchestra from 1973 through 2003.

Lew Tabackin was interviewed by Linus Wyrsch on "The Jazz Hole" for breakthruradio.com in July 2011 - Lew Tabackin Interview by breakthruradio.com
Jazz Foundation of America

Tabackin has become a great supporter of the Jazz Foundation of America in their mission to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians including musicians that survived Hurricane Katrina. He sits on the Advisory Committee of the Foundation since 2002.
Awards and honors
Grammy award nominations:
Stereo Review magazine (US):
Swing Journal (Japanese jazz magazine) awards: