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Toru “Tiger” Okoshi was born in Ashiya, Japan on March 21, 1950. An autodidact on trumpet, he studied at Kwansei Gakuin University prior to moving to the United States in 1972. He then matriculated through the Berklee School of Music.

Okoshi first gained attention with his collaboration in the Seventies with Gary Burton, then played with the Mike Gibbs Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 1974. Following this came a tour with Buddy Rich and in the early 90s he played in George Russell’s Living Time Orchestra and recorded with Rakalam Bob Moses.

Tiger has recorded regularly as a leader and sideman with Jay Anderson, Peter Erskine, Bela Fleck, Gil Goldstein, Mike Stern, Jack DeJohnette, Kenny Barron, Mino Cinelu and Bernard Purdie among others. He is currently a professor at Berklee.

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