I was trained classically and in jazz, at the age of five playing the trumpet like my father did. This was 1971. My first professional gig was when I was thirteen years old at “Cesi Bon” . I played three forty five minute sets with fifteen minute breaks in between then got paid $45.00. This was a lot of money in 1979. I played with the “The Sonic Big Band Sound by Glenn Miller”. I was hooked. What thirteen year old could stay up late at night with a bunch of adults and get paid for it.
After that it was out of control. I played Dixie land, Charlie Parker be-bob, Miles Davis cool jazz, John Coltrane avante garde, Woody Shaw modern jazz, and my goal was electric Miles Davis. I was still thirteen and put together bands of professional adults and played into the wee hours of the morning as always, getting paid to do so. By this time I was taking a leaders fee. I paid myself $100.00. Most adult leaders got $125.00, I figured due to my age and inexperience $100.00 was more than satisfactory.
Then came High School of which I did not go to at all. I was too busy in Waikiki setting up gigs at night. So I took a early GED and left home at 16. Went to San Francisco and created my band Jazz Attack in honor of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. With my dads blessings I forged ahead and my poor mother whom is from Japan felt that the first son must be successful in school, go to college, and work for a big company. I was her first born son, tradition says so. I told her no and never looked back. In her later years, she would show off to her friends of her famous first born son.
I traveled throughout Europe touring with Jazz Attack in Amsterdam, Luxemberg, Paris, Switzerland, and back home to the USA. I had an epiphany; “In Europe, I’m a famous jazz musician, in America I was a starving jazz musician now at 17. To make ends meet I became a self taught chef and I also trained as a sushi chef at Yoshis. Look it up, google it, it still operating. While my peers were going to school learning about European history, I lived it. When they went to the prom did I cry? Nope, everynight I always dressed in a pinstripe three piece tailored suit. They called me slick Toshi as I was also slick with my women. lol! The word Cougar wasn’t invented yet but I was dating older women whom understood my music and enjoyed being with me. That‘s all that mattered!
About this time most 16-17 year olds get cars. Well I’m a working man so I didn’t have daddy buy me a car like most of my peers back home. So I picked up a classic 1966 Ford Mustang green with white racing stripes for $600.00. I rebuilt the 289 hi-po the tranny and I was good as gold. Or I thought so. I didn’t buy a high performance battery so my car died on an overpass and got hit and totaled behind by a drunk lady in a Camaro. Her car was fiberglass so there pretty much was nothing left. The Mustang was busted, I didn’t care about that, I was looking to see if my trumpet was ok. Then I realized I’ve only drove this car for a week. I sold it to a junkman named humble Harold. He bought it for $600.00 lol! And I immediately purchased a ticket back to Amsterdam. This would be my home for five years.
Sure, pot/hash was everywhere but I found a loft flat for $100.00 a month. I lived in the open market district close to Anne Frank’s House, the Rijks museum, the Van Gogh museum, and so many more I couldn’t count them all. From my window I could see Van Moppes Diamond cutters and the Heineken factory. Playing music at night working as a European Chef during the day and seeing operas on the weekend was just enchanting to me. I lived a dream.
Then I get a call to come home to Hawaii! My dad is sick! So I dropped everything I had, packed the bare minimal and left Europe. Once home, I could tell he had a few years left in him. This is 1991. About this time I started to play again as Jazz Attack and as a free agent. Finally, my dad got to hear me play live. Then I met Mrs. Toshi, and that was it. She asked me out and we’ve been together since. Now that I’m a family man, I retired from music. For awhile I tried to incorporate family life with the night life but it just couldn’t work in my humble opinion. So I took my chefs and sushi chefs experience and put them to use. I’ll raise my family in a conventional way in where I didn’t have to tour. The last big tour was Tahiti New Years 1992. I came home missing Mrs. Toshi and my son at that time. It was not about me anymore, it was about them. We stayed in Honolulu from 1992 to 1999.
My goal was to move my children, by now I had a daughter and we were done, we were moving to the mainland USA. We went island hopping first as Mrs. Toshi never left home before. We lived in Maui. It was at the Maui Marriott that I trained with the official teachers student sushi chef of the Empreor of Japan. What an honor that was, I was chosen amoung many and did not even know I was in contention. I was just a cool dad having a great time in my life! Little did I know that this would lead to bigger things. Now that I had a culinary career we moved to Palm Springs California. I worked as a sous chef for Marriotts Rancho Las Palmas. We stayed there till 9/11. That horrendous incident changed many lives including the Toshi’s.
I knew vacations were going to stop or be difficult so the hotel industry was not a place to be. Mrs. Toshi has a sister in Ashtabula, Ohio. So I drove the kids in a huge Uhaul truck across the USA. That was a fun trip! Let’s just say we saw a lot. Mrs. Toshi had no room in the cab so she flew to Ashtabula or actually it was Cleveland airport. During my fourteen years here I was a sushi chef for Giant Eagle, I helped them set up a sushi program. I worked for Bert and Iris Wolstein at the Bertram Inn and Conference Center in Aurora, Ohio. This was 2003-2006. Then I was approached by one of my customers to own my own business, building in ground pools.
Would I be that crazy and stop making $100,000.00 a year to go dig holes so people can swim? Of course Mrs. Toshi and I went for it. We had a blast made triple the money and didn’t look back. During this time, I collected stamps and coins. Yes, I’m a philatelist and a numismatics. I also collect football cards. I have some rare and interesting cards I’ve collected over the years. Then 2008 downfall happened and business just adrubtly stopped. No big deal, I went to work at a factory while Mrs. Toshi worked at Sheets gas station. On 5/5/2010 I got seriously hurt, 250-300lbs. of board fell on my left side and threw me into the concrete on my right. I was in a coma and in bad shape. Luckily, Mrs. Toshi and my children took care of me. I was life flighted to Metro and I am most upset as I was not awake for the ride. lol! In 2017 Mrs. Toshi got a brain tumor removed and then our (Mrs.Toshi’s) cat died. So 2017 was the toughest year for us. I feel 2018 will shine upon us. BTW, I continue to collect stamps and coins as well as football cards and build models and having a great time doing it!
Your friend, Toshi