Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Gato Libre: Strange Village

Gato Libre: Strange Village

By Jim Santella
December 1, 2005
View read count

Capturing the essence of folk music, Natsuki Tamura creates an acoustic session on Strange Village that lets him tell the stories vividly and completely. Through open trumpet, guitar, bass, and accordion, he communicates tales that stir the imagination and let the listener interpret accordingly. Each tale comes with rounded textures that belie humble surroundings where people know that they can feel at home. Slowly and deliberately, the music walks you through the streets and welcomes you with open arms.

Tamura's soulful trumpet opens wide as he improvises over pretty melodies. He emphasizes passion without being overbearing about it. The focus for the album remains its casual four-part message that roams free as a bird (or cat). Each artist pours heartfelt emotion into the cauldron that represents Tamura's tale, and the mixture heats up from within.

Stress? This village has none. Its music simmers peacefully on the shoulders of Tamura's open horn, Satoko Fujii's soothing accordion, Kazuhiko Tsumura's crystal-clear guitar, and Norikatsu Koreyasu's proud bass. Together, they create a picture of serenity and unity. Celebrations come and go as the quartet explores free jazz with timeless sonority.

"Dance" stirs the pot with anxious passion, while "Dreaming a Lot" settles in comfortably with mellow tones. "Morning Mist" and "Gentle Journey" remain calm and placid, while undercurrents of conversation give the listener volumes of information to consider.

Gato Libre's free association over timeless textural territory gives this highly recommended album a warm embrace. Tamura's open trumpet seals it. His quartet has found a formula that connects the music of our ancestors with the freedom that we enjoy in today's modern society.

Track Listing

Morning Mist; Gentle Journey; Strange Village; Welcome Party; Dialogue; Dance; Dreaming a Lot; Then Normal Life; Journey Again; Wasteland of Peat

Personnel

Gato Libre

Natsuki Tamura: trumpet; Kazuhiko Tsumura: guitar; Satoko Fujii: acordion; Norikatsu Koreyasu: bass.

Album information

Title: Strange Village | Year Released: 2005 | Record Label: Muzak

PREVIOUS / NEXT

I. Christmas 2005: Something Old...
< Previous

II. Christmas 2005: Something New...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.