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Satoko Fujii Tobira: Yamiyo Ni Karasu
by Vincenzo Roggero
Tobira--porta in giapponese--è la nuova formazione di Satoko Fujii nata accorpando al New Trio--Todd Nicholson al contrabbasso, Takashi Itani alla batteria--il marito e trombettista Natsuki Tamura. Decisione presa dopo alcune occasionali partecipazioni durante i tour del 2014 in Europa e Nord America e scelta, come è sempre accaduto riguardo le numerose formazioni allestite nel corso della carriera della pianista giapponese, assolutamente riuscita. Se da una parte il trio ha congenite energia, esuberanza, originalità e personalità da vendere ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin: Ichigo Ichie
by Angelo Leonardi
Ecco il primo documento discografico della Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin, l'organico europeo più stabile tra quelli che la pianista ha diretto in questi anni. L'album è stato registrato nel gennaio 2014, esattamente un anno dopo Shiki, la sua ultima pubblicazione orchestrale con la formazione che dirige a New York. L'organico è formato da musicisti tedeschi o che vivono stabilmente a Berlino più il marito trombettista Natsuki Tamura e il prodigioso batterista francese Peter Orins, già partner in altre ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii with her various ensembles: Ichicgo Icihie, Yamiyo Ni Karasu and Kaze's Uminari
by Hrayr Attarian
Words like superb, outstanding or splendid are redundant when writing about pianist, accordionist and composer Satoko Fujii. With an average of five releases per year over the past decade, she is indeed one of the most prolific musicians. The abundance of her output though is never at the expense of its quality or originality. As the trio of 2015 albums demonstrates Fujii, with her various ensembles, is restlessly innovative with an unparalleled skill and a singularly captivating musical vision.
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin: Ichigo Ichie
by Budd Kopman
The huge dual drum opening of part 1 of the title piece is a clear signal that with Ichigo Ichie, pianist/composer/conductor Satoko Fujii is not going to hold back when introducing her latest orchestral group of Berlin (which she now calls home). Orchestra Berlin is Fujii's fifth such group (after creating and recording with orchestras in New York, Tokyo, Nagoya and Kobe) and it has a unique personality all its own. Four of the five tracks consist of ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin: Ichigo Ichie
by Karl Ackermann
If there is any doubt that a Satoko Fujii orchestra is an ensemble of a different color, one simply needs to look at the bleeding-edge personnel that have played a part in her New York, Chicago and several Japan based versions. Now a Berlin variety of her troupe presents Ichigo Ichie, the pianist's first European player dominated big band. Like all of Fujii's compositional collections, she creates and arranges to the strengths of the assorted band members and the results ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Tobira: Yamiyo Ni Karasu
by Karl Ackermann
If ever there were a restless musical spirit, it would be pianist, composer (and occasional accordionist) Satoko Fujii. The Japanese artist has issued more than sixty recordings in settings from solo to full orchestra and most everything in between. While she demonstrates virtuosic straight-ahead balladry on occasion, her preference has long leaned toward unorthodox improvisation. Fujii has recorded with Tin Hat's violinist Carla Kihlstedt, pianist Myra Melford and fronted a trio with bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Jim Black. Much ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Tobira: Yamiyo Ni Karasu
by Budd Kopman
If it were possible to give ten stars to Yamiyo Ni Karasu, it would deserve every single one for its power, inventiveness and the sheer ecstasy of creation in the moment. Pianist, composer, improviser and overall whirlwind Satoko Fujii returns to once again to lead a quartet, Tobira, which was built from New Trio (which included bassist Todd Nicholson and drummer/percussionist Takashi Itani) by adding trumpeter (and husband) Natsuki Tamura. Her previous quartet, Ma-Do (see Heat Wave, Desert ...
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