It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of celebrated jazz organist and Roxy Bar favorite Akiko Tsuruga this week. She was 58.

 

A native of Osaka, Japan, Tsuruga was known for her swinging, soulful style, evidenced in dynamic performances with jazz masters like Lou Donaldson and her husband, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli.

 

“She took the baton from Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff, legends like that,” Magnarelli told radio station WRTI. “I worked with Jack McDuff, and I can tell you that she definitely got that sound, the Harlem jazz organ sound. Not many people have it. She had it, and I would say that as an organist, she was a virtuoso. She could get sounds out of the organ that were just incredible.”

 

“Both on and off the stage, Akiko was a delight,” GrandLife Hotels Entertainment Director Jon Regen tells us. “They say ’You play like you are,’ and Akiko was a true example of that. Her energy and playing were infectious.”

 

Tsuruga got her start studying at the Yamaha Music School in Japan. She came to NYC in 2001 and had been a fixture on the New York and international jazz scene for over two decades. And while she performed at countless festivals and clubs during her career, her monthly appearances at the Roxy Bar were a celebration for both musicians and listeners alike.

 

“The high ceiling makes it a very comfortable place to play,” Tsuruga told us of her fondness for the venue back in 2021. “The staff is friendly, the food is delicious and the cocktails are the best!”

 

Her spirit and music will live on in all of us.