Jeff Hamilton Organ Trio (Featuring Akiko Tsuruga and Steve Kovalcheck) - Coast To Coast (CD)

Superstar Jazz Luminary and drummer, Jeff Hamilton's Organ trio consisting of Jeff, B3 organist Akiko Tsuruga and guitarist Steve Kovalcheck have completed the new recording, "Coast To Coast" on RMI Records. This is Jeff's second outing with RMI Records, the first was with The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestras' "And So It Goes", the Grammy® nominated album from the world-renowned Big Band. For this project Jeff enlisted his long-time Organ Trio partner, New York's Akiko Tsuruga and added new to the trio, Colorado's Steve Kovalcheck. "Coast To Coast" features 8 new studio recordings of the band playing and expanding on some songbook classics like "Tuxedo Junction" and Bud Powell's "So Sorry Please". It also includes newly penned trio compositions "Blues on Easy Street" and "Maypole" and others. Spanning the Jazz Landscape through multi-styles, the East Coast/Central and West Coast based trio (thus the name "Coast to Coast"), navigates to it's own sound, voice and direction with its new member.
Jeff Hamilton is of the top names in jazz and pop, appearing on more than 200 recordings, 22 of which received Grammy® nominations. He also performs and records frequently with his own trio and as co-leader of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. As a sideman, Jeff played in the New Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and Lionel Hampton’s Band before joining the Monty Alexander Trio in 1975 with bassist John Clayton. From 1983 to 1987, he performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie & His Orchestra, and Rosemary Clooney. Prior to forming his own trio in 1995, Jeff played with the Ray Brown Trio. In recent years, you can see Jeff in Diana Krall's Quartets and Big Bands and with his own touring ensembles.
Since moving to New York, Akiko Tsuruga has been a regular on the jazz scene as a B3 player since her arrival in 2001. Almost immediately, she began working with artists like Jimmy Cobb, Frank Hess, and Lou Donaldson (whose quartet she joined in 2007). As a bandleader, Akiko has ten albums to her credit both the U.S. and Japan. Her albums have constantly placed in the top ten on the National Radio Jazz Chart. Akiko also received the “Swing Journal Rising Star Award” (Japan) in 2010, Hot House Magazine (NYC) Best Organist’ in 2017, and the DOWNBEAT Magazine Critics Poll 2020 Rising Star Organ.
Guitarist/composer Steve Kovalcheck holds a B.M. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a M.M. From the University of Northern Colorado, where he currently teaches jazz improvisation, jazz history, directs jazz ensembles and leads the jazz guitar ensemble. His professional experience includes recording and touring with Columbia recording artist Robinella and the C.C. String Band. Kovalcheck has performed with artists including Victor Krauss, The “New York Voices,” The Colorado Symphony Orchestra, The Dallas Symphony, The Nashville Jazz Orchestra, Jeff Coffin, Tommy Sims, Blue Note Recording Artist Carrie Rodriguez, The Dana Landry Quartet, and many more.