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Mototeru Takagi: Live At Little John Yokohama 1999
ByMuch of the time a conversational vibe ensues, often loosely organised around a tonal center although, happily, the collective dander rises on occasion too. Takagi, who died in 2002, piioted few leadership dates during his career, so the fact that he is at the front and center of this 73-minute live recording makes it a valuable addition to his discography. His burnished yet vocalized tone dominates the woodwinds' floating weave on the episodic 40-minute "Yokohama Iseazaki Town," with Koyama's responsive coloration and accents contributing to an almost airy feel at times. All the better, that sets off the passage at the halfway point, when Kongo and Takeuchi wield their saxophones and the piece explodes into a bristling three-way dog fight.
However, the highlight of the disc is the relatively brief 12-minute "Yokohama Yamashita Town," a masterpiece of controlled extemporization, where Takagi's majestic tenor saxophone squawk fashions a dirge-like melody, alternately cosseted and buffeted by Takeuchi's increasingly rambunctious bass clarinet and Kongo's wailing alto saxophone, atop brooding drums. The final "Yokohama Yamate Town" manifests in two halves, the first a showcase for the vibrant flutes of Kongo and Takeuchi (whose connection was vouchsafed by a duo disc Our Tribal Music (Vibration, 1997)), the second a more bombastic three saxophone conflagration, which nicely cleanses the palate and certainly merits the audible audience approval.
Track Listing
Yokohama Iseazaki Town; Yokohama Yamashita Town; Yokohama Yamate Town.
Personnel
Mototeru Takagi
saxophone, sopranoSusumu Kongo
saxophone, altoNao Takeuchi
saxophone, tenorShota Koyama
drumsAdditional Instrumentation
Mototeru Takagi: tenor saxophone; Susumu Kongo: alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet; Nao Takeuchi: tenor saxophone, flute, bass clarinet.
Album information
Title: Live At Little John Yokohama 1999 | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: NoBusiness Records
Comments
About Mototeru Takagi
Instrument: Saxophone, soprano
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