Akiko Tsuruga

Akiko Tsuruga was a Japanese jazz composer, organist and pianist from Osaka.

Biography

Tsuruga was born in Osaka on September 1, 1967, the oldest of the three children of Hiroko Tsuruga and Koji Tsuruga. Her parents bought her a small organ when she was three and she started learning to play standards. In high school, she listened to Hammond B3 players including
Jimmy Smith, then Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff and Dr. Lonnie Smith.
A 1988 graduate of the Osaka College of Music, she moved to New York City in 2001. After moving to the US, she had lessons from Dr. Lonnie Smith.
In addition to her solo work, she played as a sideman in various groups in New York. She accompanied Lou Donaldson since 2007.
Tsuruga died on 13 September, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 58. According to her husband, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, Tsuruga died after a short period of terminal illness. She is survived by her mother, two brothers, and her husband.