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Asian American jazz is a musical movement in the United States begun in the 20th century by Asian American jazz musicians.

Although Asian Americans had been performing jazz music almost since that music's inception, it was not until the late 20th century when a distinctly Asian American brand of jazz began to develop. West Coast musicians such as Glenn Horiuchi, Jon Jang, and Francis Wong, as well as New Yorkers like Fred Ho and Jason Kao Hwang, began to create a hybrid music that was reflective of their ancestral heritages and experiences as Asian Americans, but which was at the same time also rooted in jazz, a music of African American origin. Most of the first musicians associated with the movement were of Chinese or Japanese ancestry, though more recently musicians of Filipino, Vietnamese, Indian, and Iranian descent have also become active.

Often, Asian American jazz combines standard jazz instruments with Asian instruments (such as taiko, shamisen, erhu, suona, or kulintang), which are often performed by musicians from Asia. Also, they may play jazz instruments in a manner imitative of Asian instruments. Many Asian American jazz ensembles also include musicians who are not of Asian descent.

Of particular significance to the development and promotion of the movement are the record label Asian Improv, as well as the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival begun by Chicago musician Tatsu Aoki.

One of the more prominent bands is a Japanese American fusion jazz band called Hiroshima, which has been around since 1974.

Musicians associated with the Asian American jazz movement

Tatsu Aoki
Anthony Brown
Jeff Chan
Jiebing Chen
Gene Ess
Fred Ho
Glenn Horiuchi
Jason Kao Hwang
Susie Ibarra
Vijay Iyer
Mark Izu
Jon Jang
Jin Hi Kim
Robbie Kwock
Lee Pui Ming (based in Canada)
Liu Qi-Chao
Melecio Magdaluyo
Miya Masaoka
Hafez Modirzadeh
Gerald Oshita
Francis Wong
Hiroshima

External links

• Asian Improv Records
• Asian American Music: A Cyberguide