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Tomas Fujiwara 7 Poets Trio: Pith
ByFujiwara penned five of the half dozen cuts in a program completed by one joint invention. Although the themes vary from bright and sunny to ominous, somber and atmospheric, the real interest resides in the group exchanges which they nurture. Both Brennan and Reid are among the foremost improvisers on their respective axes, and they mesh in delightful, understated interplay, particularly notable on "Josho," but a feature throughout. Even with only three participants, Fujiwara does not press his case, largely content to prompt, support and maintain forward motion.
Rather than solos, there are subtle changes in prominence between the three principals, in what is primarily an ensemble music. "Resolve" begins in a textural interchange from indeterminate sources. Is that a bowed cymbal or a whistling cello upper register? Or is Brennan making artful use of electronics to modulate and distort the vibraphone? Ultimately it makes no difference to the uneasy ambience created, one resolved by a subdued cello melody which conjures an air of quiet resignation.
Discharged from their conventional roles, everyone stretches out more on the extemporized "Other." And the rich, angular drama, which moves from a choppy opening to a polyrhythmic drum throb, careening pizzicato cello and ringing vibes, suggests a fertile gambit ripe for further exploration in the future. Once again Fujiwara and his squad thrive in the tantalizing push and pull between the charted and the untethered.
Track Listing
Solace; Swelter; Resolve; Josho; Other; Breath.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Pith | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Out Of Your Head Records
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Tomas Fujiwara 7 Poets Trio
Album Review
John Sharpe
Pith
Out Of Your Head Records
Tomas Fujiwara
tomeka reid
Patricia Brennan