Jazz Articles about Satoko Fujii

Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii: Chun

by Troy Collins
December 10, 2008

Chun is one of seven new albums released in 2008 by tireless Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii in celebration of her fiftieth birthday. Issued concurrently with Sanrei (BKM), by her Orchestra Nagoya, and Summer Suite (Libra), by her Orchestra New York, Chun is the fourth duet session Fujii has recorded with her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura.

Fujii and Tamura have honed their empathetic rapport in a variety of settings over the past decade, from the massed ensembles of the ...

Satoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya: Sanrei

by Mark Corroto
December 5, 2008

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.

Satoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya: Sanrei

by Dan McClenaghan
December 2, 2008

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 ...

Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York: Summer Suite

by Troy Collins
November 29, 2008

In addition to numerous small combos, industrious Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii leads four different Orchestras (Kobe, Nagoya, New York, and Tokyo). In honor of her fiftieth birthday, Fujii has released a total of seven albums in 2008. The latest installment includes Chun (Libra), an intimate duet with her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, and two big band records, Sanrei (Bakamo), by her Orchestra Nagoya, and Summer Suite, the seventh recording by her Orchestra New York, a veritable super group of Downtown ...

Satoko Fujii: Trace a River

by AAJ Italy Staff
November 24, 2008

Di progetto in progetto, di pubblicazione in pubblicazione, la statura artistica di Satoko Fujii negli ultimi anni è cresciuta a dismisura. E nel meraviglioso universo di situazioni che la vedono coinvolta, dal duo col marito trombettista Natsuki Tamura alle scritture per big band, dal quartetto Gato Libre al sodalizio con la violinista Carla Kihlstedt, il piano trio con Mark Dresser e Jim Black occupa senza dubbio una posizione centrale. Una centralità ribadita anche dall’ultima fatica in studio della band, Trace ...

Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York: Summer Suite

by Budd Kopman
November 18, 2008

Continuing the stream of recordings in her 50th birthday year, pianist Satoko Fujii presents Summer Suite from the New York big band, as well as Sanrei (BKM, 2008) from the Nagoya band. These two are in a series of thirteen big band releases dating back to Jo (Buzz, 1999)--besides the forty-odd other recordings she has lead or played on. You do the math. Fujii is a complete modernist, bound by no rules, eclectic in predilections and influences, ...

Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii: Chun

by Budd Kopman
November 5, 2008

With seemingly endless energy and a bottomless well of inspiration, pianist Satoko Fujii continues to celebrate her fiftieth birthday year with three new recordings, all three simultaneously released on Libra. Chun, a duo recording with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, her husband and musical partner and two big band releases, one West and the other East--Summer Suite (New York) and Sanrei (Nagoya). Fujii's music is a delicious mix of opposites: melody and pure sound, intense energy and calm introspection, ...