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Kenji Lee's Fortune Teller Trio: Kyūdō
ByThe majority of the album cuts are Lee compositions; they run an impressive gamut, from pile-driving, rock-inflected dynamos such as "Deth's Breth" and "Agate," to much more rarefied fare such as "Empty Cup" and "You Have Something Special," both of which revel in the saxophonist's rich melodicism and stately elegance. Vocalist Estar Cohen adds to three relatively short tracks, with her ecstatic wordless exclamations pushing Lee into his most exploratory terrain on the album. Add a gorgeous cover of Ornette Coleman's "Chanting" and a searching interpretation of Gustav Mahler's "Symphony No. 9 (Adagio)," and Lee has a colorful and diverse palette with which to showcase his abilities.
Peck and Taylor also deserve mention for their contributions, as they are remarkably agile in working their way through such a varied set of tunes. Peck's sensitivity on the pensive "Amphibian" is noteworthy, but he can establish a relentless groove as well, even switching to electric bass on "Agate" to bring some added punch. And when Taylor is not rocking out on the heavier cuts, he also possesses a panoply of approaches, from spartan support during Lee's abstract musings on "Budō" to a loose-limbed, swinging groove on "Empty Cup."
Given the album's broad expanse of idioms and emotional registers, there are moments here in which it would be good to hear Lee settle into one of them and explore it at greater length, The brevity of many of the tracks and the sheer diversity of styles on display diminishes the music's cohesiveness to a degree, but Lee has amply demonstrated his ability to do it all here, enough to make a convincing case that he will be worth following in future, especially if he narrows his focus a bit more on his future releases.
Track Listing
Seisha Hicchū; Deth’s Breth; Budō; Agate; Amphibian (…breathing in lifeless water); Munen Musō; Empty Cup; Breath; Sacred Text; Chanting; Pell Mell; Symphony No. 9 (Adagio); N.O.; You Have Something Special.
Personnel
Additional Instrumentation
Estar Cohen: vocals (1, 9, 13); Kenji Lee: Hammond organ (13); Andy Peck: electric bass (4).
Album information
Title: Kyūdō | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Self Produced
Comments
About Kenji Lee
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
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