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Satoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya: Sanrei
by Eyal Hareuveni
There is no doubt that out of the four big bands that Japanese composer and pianist Satoko Fujii leads, Orchestra Nagoya is the wildest one. It is also the fastest and the loudest one. It may feel like being hit by a huge adrenalin shot while listening to Sanrei, the orchestra's third release; but rest assured this powerful demonstration does not lack detailed and precise arrangements.
The orchestra was masterminded by Fujii, who opts only for the conductor role with ...
read moreSatoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya: Sanrei
by Mark Corroto
Satoko Fujii's Sanrei might smell like teen spirit, but it isn't a rock power trio disc; it's an orchestra sent here from nirvana by way of Nagoya, Japan. Pianist Fujii eschews the keyboards for a conductor's baton, leaving the chords to guitarist Yasuhiro Usui to shred with abandon.
Probably best known for her virtuosic piano, Fujii plays in trio with bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Jim Black, duo with husband and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, or in ... read moreSatoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya: Sanrei
by Dan McClenaghan
Satoko Fujii has a rock and roll soul and heart, judging from the opening cut on Sanrei, by her Orchestra Nagoya. The tune thumps and slashes to life on a bass/drums/guitar intro that sounds like Deep Purple searching for the groove on “Kentucky Woman," an early burst (1968) in the heavy metal mode.
The Japanese-born Fujii, a beyond category artist, is usually considered an avant-garde jazzer. But her sonic artistry is informed by just about any type of ...
read moreSatoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya: Maru
by Jim Santella
Improvising ensembles come in all shapes and sizes. Here's one that begins with the standard big band instrumentation, adds a powerful rock-inspired twist to each selection, folds folkloric themes from around the world into its book, and then launches a hard-swinging free jazz journey.
While the band's fabric follows from what Buddy Rich and Woody Herman were doing with their organizations a generation ago, this one bears the imprint of Satoko Fujii's creativity. Under her leadership, the soloists ...
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