Jazz Articles about Natsuki Tamura

First Meeting: Cut the Rope

by Raul d'Gama Rose
August 27, 2010

Trumpeter Natsuki Tamura creates a vast expanse of sound on Cut the Rope, the first album recorded with his band First Meeting. Nothing is predictable on this wholly improvised album that ranges from aspects of a vision of being marooned on a desolate soundscape to the musicians ultimately finding their way into a melodic river of sound, after at first coming perilously close to losing all sense of direction. But Tamura is an expert guide: he wields his horn like ...

Gato Libre: Shiro

by AAJ Italy Staff
July 1, 2010

Il Gato Libre del trombettista Natsuki Tamura giunge al quarto capitolo confermando i caratteri di un'estetica transculturale che s'ispira alle musiche popolari europee per creare una sintesi dalle tinte radiose, giocata principalmente sulle suggestioni timbriche e la cantabilità melodica. Il primo nucleo del progetto era un duo costituito da Tamura e dal bassista Norikatsu Koreyasu. Dopo pochi concerti la formazione s'è ampliata al chitarrista acustico Kazuhiko Tsumura ed ha trovato la sua forma definitiva con l'ingresso di Satoko Fujii alla ...

Gato Libre: Shiro

by Dan McClenaghan
March 21, 2010

Japanese trumpeter Natsuki Tamura's name is most often mentioned in the press for his work with his wife, Satoko Fujii. The Japanese pianist casts a blinding light with her prolific output, and a fearless and unfettered musical vision. Tamura sits in as either a sideman or collaborator on many, if not most, of her CDs.If Fujii is superhuman in her output as a leader, Tarmura is closer to mortal, though no less adventurous. He has produced sets as ...

Junk Box: Cloudy Then Sunny

by AAJ Italy Staff
September 7, 2009

L'ampiezza e la profondità della ricerca di Satoko Fujii lascia sempre ammirati, al punto che ogni suo disco esige una speciale considerazione. Autrice dei brani e ideatrice del progetto, la pianista giapponese è principale artefice di questo trio, giunto al secondo lavoro dopo il debutto nel 2006 con Fragment. Come spiega nelle note del disco, in quel lavoro Satoko ha iniziato a lavorare su un personale metodo di scrittura che include, accanto alle note, grafici e parole, e che lei ...

Gato Libre: Kuro

by AAJ Italy Staff
October 27, 2008

Dopo la pubblicazione in anni recenti di Strange Village e Nomad il quartetto Gato Libre conferma i tratti squisitamente folk di un'estetica apparentemente distante dalla cultura e dalla storia musicale dei suoi componenti. Il quartetto è infatti composto dai giapponesi Natsuki Tamura alla tromba, Satoko Fujii alla fisarmonica, Kazuhiko Tsumura alla chitarra acustica e Norikatsu Koreyasu al contrabbasso. I primi due non hanno certo bisogno di presentazioni, essendo tra i massimi esponenti dell'avanguardia musicale contemporanea, ai confini tra libera improvvisazione, ...

Gato Libre: Kuro

by Michael P. Gladstone
October 18, 2008

This album is a bit unusual for trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and his group Gato Libre. While many of his other recordings are in a free jazz mode--notably as an accompanist for his wife, pianist Satoko Fujii--Kuro seems largely intent in showing a varying picture of Tamura's musical scope.

Fujii forgoes her usual piano for accordion on Kuro.On the opening “Sunny Spot," she provides a tandem accompaniment with guitarist Kazuhiko Tsumura that enhances this otherwise attractive melody. There is also a ...

Gato Libre: Kuro

by Jerry D'Souza
August 25, 2008

Gato Libre is back, carrying on the musical tradition that marked its last recording, Nomad(No Man's Land, 2007). Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Satoko Fujii (accordion), Kazuhiko Tsumura (guitar) and Norikatsu Koreyasu (bass) play with an agile sense for melody and detail that suits the compositions to a nicety. Tamura uses Gato Libre to get away from the improvisatory music that marks his other projects, where the written word is more often than not a speck on the horizon, rather than the ...