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Satoko Fujii / Natuski Tamura: In Krakow In November
by Budd Kopman
The cover is dark blue with a picture of a city (presumably Krakow) at dusk with a cloudy sky. Lights that have come on are glowing from overexposing the shot. The mood is thus set for the duo of pianist Satoko Fujii and her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura to present re-workings of pieces recorded in different arrangements from years past. The album has a stark, wide-open sound that creates a serious, introspective mood which matches the one created by the ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe: Kobe Yee!!
by Jim Santella
Another in a fine series of big band albums that pianist Satoko Fujii has released, Kobe Yee!! features the ensemble that she works with when she's in town. Kobe, Japan, that is.
This fifteen-piece band interprets her music with a fierce attitude, as each selection comes laden with the force of collective power. On “Tobifudo we're treated to her percussive piano fortitude as she releases a ton of energy into its introduction, inspiring the rest of the band ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura: In Krakow In November
by Jerry D'Souza
Pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura make a fine team. Their musical collaborations are many, involving Fujii's big band as well as several other combines including duo outings. They are back together for the first time in five years exploring tunes that were earlier recorded by their quartet projects.
The pared down approach does not sap the vitality of the compositions. Fujii and Tamura bring a fresh perspective to each, divined by their ability to move past the obvious ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura: In Krakow in November
by Jim Santella
The husband and wife team of Natsuki Tamura & Satoko Fujii continues to make giant strides in bringing avant garde jazz to a wider audience. Their creative adventures recall the excitement wrought by AACM members such as Lester Bowie and Muhal Richard Abrams. Extending their reach around the world, the creative couple forcefully demonstrates what can happen when you let your musical ideas run free.
Their compositions run melodic throughout this live session, allowing impressions to come from both gentle ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii / Natusuki Tamura: In Krakow in November
by Dan McClenaghan
Listening to In Krakow In November might make you think that a European influence has tamed the avant approach of pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. This set, along with two recent releases by Tamura's Gato Libre group--featuring Fujii on accordion--are tinted by their explorations of European folk and classical forms. They also deliver relatively sedate sounds full of lyrical beauty and introspection, in high contrast with, say, the Satoko Fujii Quartet's seismic Vulcan (Libra, 2001) or Tamura's electro ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Four: When We Were There
by Jim Santella
Satoko Fujii creates tone poems on When We Were There, which her quartet uses as stepping stones to enter the world of improvised jazz. Each member, an experienced veteran, turns it loose with unexpected surprises at every corner. At the piano, Fujii romps with quasi-rhythms and mood-changing harmonies. The dissonance and consonance of her pieces overlap, so you're not sure whether the next phrase will proceed with lyrical charms or eerie nightmares.
What makes Fujii's avant-garde music different ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Four: When We Were There
by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
"Sandstorm, the opening cut on this album, is one of those all-hands-on-deck-and-make-some-noise extravaganzas that seem to be coming back into fashion (check out “3:10 Local on Dan Willis's Velvet Gentlemen (OmniTone,2006), or “Cosmic Tomes For Sleep Walking Lovers Part 1 on the Exploding Star Orchestra's We Are All From Somewhere Else (Thrill Jockey, 2007)). But, though it's a spirited performance, it's slightly false advertising: When We Were There is an adventurous record, indeed, but quieter and less free than the ...
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