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Jazz Articles about Satoko Fujii
Joe Fonda: Eyes On The Horizon
by Mike Jurkovic
As we enter into the season of giving, what better gift can there be than Eyes on the Horizon, bassist/composer Joe Fonda's sonic tribute to his mentor, muse, and like-minded creator, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. As if welcoming one to a grand destination, Smith's clear and majestic timbre, supported by Fonda's pronounced bowing, proclaims “Inspiration Opus #1" into consciousness and Eyes on the Horizon sets out on a path all its own. More than just head-solo-head, Fonda employs ...
Continue ReadingJoe Fonda: Eyes On The Horizon
by Mark Corroto
When a musician who is a legend himself, herein bassist Joe Fonda, creates an album of tribute music to his mentor and teacher, it is rare that that person also performs on the recording. Fonda wrote the seven compositions heard here, with five dedicated to the master musician Wadada Leo Smith. On Eyes on The Horizon, Fonda is joined by pianist Satoko Fujii, drummer Tiziano Tononi and Smith himself. During his career, Fonda has been heard with such ...
Continue ReadingKira Kira: Kira Kira Live
by Glenn Astarita
Kira Kira, a Japanese avant-garde ensemble has been at the forefront of improvisational music since 2017. Their name, translating to “glittering" or “shining" in Japanese, fittingly reflects the radiant quality of their sonic explorations. The ensemble includes an all-star lineup: trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, pianist Satoko Fujii, keyboardist Alister Spence and drummer Tatsuya Yoshida. Together, they blend semi-structured jazz with shades of other genres, creating a sound that is as frenzied and bustling as it is introspective and exhilarating. The album ...
Continue ReadingNatsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii: Aloft
by John Sharpe
By the time of its ninth release a band might be struggling to produce something new. Not so the Japanese wife-and-husband duo of pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. They reap the benefits of a long association while sidestepping potential downsides to keep things fresh and unpredictable. While previous albums have often featured the compositions of one or both, on Aloft they dispense with charts altogether and trust in their instincts. That trust is amply repaid. It ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii Quartet: Dog Days Of Summer
by Dan McClenaghan
Satoko Fujii Quartet's Dog Days Of Summer has been a long time coming. It is the re-emergence of one of her most exciting bands, the Satoko Fujii Quartet. They had a great run from 2002's Vulcan (Libra Records) until 2008's Baccus (Muzak Records). Then the group went into a dormancy. In the meantime, Fujii has released over a hundred albums--including twelve in 2018 alone--in every imaginable format, from solo piano to big bands and almost everything in between.
Continue ReadingNatsuki Tamura, Satoko Fujii: Aloft
by Alberto Bazzurro
Sei improvvisazioni svarianti fra i cinque e i dieci minuti compongono questo nuovo capitolo della saga discografica (molto nutrita, ormai da diversi anni in qua) dei coniugi giapponesi, sempre pronti a misurarsi con nuove sfide, ma nel contempo molto attenti a preservare dati punti fermi. Qual è, ovviamente, il loro sodalizio, sia in duo, come qui, che in organici più ampi. La contrapposizione più avvertibile, in questo nuovo lavoro, è fra il suono limpido--diremmo canonico, se il ...
Continue ReadingSatoko Fujii: Composing Beyond the Jazz Spirit
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines On pianist and composer Satoko Fujii, an incredibly unique and prolific artist.Satoko works at the intersection of jazz, contemporary classical, rock, and traditional Japanese music, composing for ensembles of many sizes and configurations. However, she is especially adept with the jazz orchestra format. For all of her efforts, Satoko is widely decorated as an improviser, composer, arranger, and band leader.Satoko has released over 100 albums as leader or co-leader, at a clip ...
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