Jazz Articles about Satoko Fujii

like 124

Satoko Fujii / Natusuki Tamura: In Krakow in November

by Dan McClenaghan
February 16, 2007

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 ...

like 185

Satoko Fujii Four: When We Were There

by Jim Santella
February 4, 2007

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 ...

like 193

Satoko Fujii Four: When We Were There

by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
January 14, 2007

"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 ...

like 139

Satoko Fujii Four: When We Were There

by Jerry D'Souza
December 29, 2006

Satoko Fujii, Natsuki Tamura, Mark Dresser and Jim Black took time off from their touring schedule in the fall of 2005 to record this CD. There were a couple of changes from their earlier efforts: this was the first time they had Tamura in the studio, and the pieces are shorter than what one has come to expect from Fujii. Nevertheless, they continue to be a deft combination with yet another persuasive album.

Fujii does away with her usual persuasion ...

like 178

Natsuki Tamura / Elliott Sharp / Hideki Kato / Satoko Fujii: In The Tank

by Ivana Ng
December 16, 2006

Live concerts strive for a transcendent quality that can never be translated into CD form. This is especially true for free improvisation, and In the Tank is archetypical of this fact. Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Elliott Sharp (soprano sax and guitar), Takayuki Kato (guitar) and Satoko Fujii (piano) recorded this concert in 2001 in Japan. The uncomfortable stillness of the record begs the question: who went to this concert, and was it worth it? In the Tank is ...

like 156

Satoko Fujii Four: When We Were There

by Dan McClenaghan
November 23, 2006

Pianist/composer Satko Fujii--one of the more prolific jazz artists around--leads a variety of ensemble configurations from duos to to bands, and everthing in between. One of her longest-standing groups is her trio with drummer Jim Black and bassist Mark Dresser. When We Were There is the eighth CD she has recorded with the Dresser/Black team, and the second one for which she's brought in her husband and oft-times musical collaborator, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, to join them.Earlier this year, ...

like 135

Satoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya: Maru

by Jim Santella
November 22, 2006

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 ...