The Jazz world continues to mourn the loss of Akiko Tsuruga, the supremely gifted organist and composer, who died on Saturday, September 13, 2025.
Her husband, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, said Akiko passed after a short terminal illness. She was 58.
A graduate of the Osaka College of Music, she moved to New York City in 2001. The legendary Dr. Lonnie Smith would eventually give her music lessons described the organist this way: “Akiko's playing is like watching a flower blooming, a bird spreading her wings in the music world.”
It was a 2019, that Akiko Tsuruga and the all-women collective Lioness performed live at the WBGO Studios during Gary Walker's morning show. You can hear that performance here.
Jazz pianist and organist Mike LeDonne wrote on his social media about his dear friend Akiko Tsuruga.
"I met her over 30 years ago when she was still in high school in Japan. I was playing with Milt Jackson's Quartet in Osaka, and somebody set up an after-hours performance/master class for a bunch of young students at a place called "Subway".
At one point, this young lady raised her hand and asked me how I was able to accompany Milt Jackson when he played his out-of-tempo intros. I was surprised anyone there asked me anything because on the bandstand with me were great masters like Bags, Bob Cranshaw, and Mickey Roker. My answer was brief and to the point. I said "Listen". She would always remind me about that.
Fast forward years later, and I'm playing at Showman's with my old buddy, and great tenor player Jerry Weldon, and these 2 young Japanese ladies came in and sat right at the front of the bar. This was the night of Akiko's arrival in New York City. They were there all night, and I found out Akiko was an organ player, so I let her sit in and was impressed with all she already had together on the instrument.
We became lifelong friends and colleagues. I would go see her play with Lou Donaldson, and both Lou and Akiko would come to see me when I was at Smoke every Tuesday. She was always a very humble and sweet person with a big, beautiful smile."
Akiko Tsuruga will be great missed by all of us at WBGO and beyond.
