Leonieke Scheuble in Japan

This article first appeared in Jersey Jazz Magazine.

As someone whose passion for jazz developed when I lived in Japan in the mid-1960s, I was fascinated to learn that keyboardist Leonieke Scheuble was spending nine weeks there to perform in the USA Pavilion at the Osaka Expo 2025. She led a band called Leonieke and the NY Groove which included her father, Nick, on drums, guitarist Ilan Eisenzweig , and saxophonist/flutist John Michalak. "I played Hammond organ the whole time," she told me. "The organ was graciously provided by the partnership of Hammond/Suzuki Japan-USA."

Thanks to Japanese organist Akiko Tsuruga, who now lives in New York, Scheuble was able to meet and hear several Japanese organists during her time away from the outside Expo bandstand. "We reached out to Akiko," Scheuble said, "and she explained that Osaka is known to be a very popular organ spot, and she got us in touch with a few excellent female organists such as Midori Ono, Atsuko Hashimoto, and Yuki Hyoda. We went to hear each of them perform and became fast friends. It was a thrill to see how many jazz clubs housed Hammond organs."

There were also opportunities for jam sessions, and one was with Japanese guitarist Hiroshi Hata. "We first saw him at the Expo in Osaka playing with saxophonist Harry Allen," Scheuble said. "After that, everyone in our band went to a session he led in the days that followed and sat in. I played at a session in Kyoto with a 92-year-old guitarist named Yutaka Terai. He's a legend there, and is just sensational. We also met and played with a trombonist, Nick Marshall, when we attended a session in Kobe. Nick is originally from Canada but is now living in Japan."

Another highlight took place in Yokohama where the organist Midori Ono invited Scheuble to come onstage and perform a duo organ piece with her —"two organs facing each other. That was so much fun!"

The 23-year-old Scheuble estimated that her band performed eight to 10 sets a week at the Expo for a total of about 80 performances. "After each performance, we would take photos with many people from the crowd, and they would often present us with gifts. One of the most touching experiences I've ever had occurred on the last day of our performances. We were into June, and monsoon season had just begun. The rain was heavy, yet when we looked out into the crowd of umbrellas, we recognized many of the friends and familiar faces we had come to know. They bid us farewell with handwritten notes, desserts, and gifts of all kinds." (The musicians were covered, but the audience wasn't).

Although jazz is an original American art form, it's clearly more popular outside the country—not only in Japan but throughout the rest of the world. "Performing in Japan," said Scheuble, "was an absolute honor and a life-changing experience. I cannot wait to return again sometime soon."

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