Jazz Articles

Natsuki Tamura/Satoko Fujii: Muku

by Hrayr Attarian
November 30, 2012

The restlessly innovative husband and wife team of trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and pianist Satoko Fujii have produced some of the most intriguing and invigorating music to come out of Japan. Although rooted in the jazz idiom, their explorations are on universal themes, drawing upon a variety of inspirations. Their work is primarily improvised, but not in the sense of a blowing session and more within the permissive construct of melodic and unconventional compositions. More often than not, ...

Natsuki Tamura/Satoko Fujii: Clouds

by AAJ Staff
June 22, 2002

Every Satoko Fujii appearance, live or on disc, challenges her skills in a new context. Fujii can knuckle-bust like the best piano roustabout, but her influences include Paul Bley's watery side, and her early solo discs are pastel, but this is no femme player. Her first duet disc with Tamura on Leo combined ferocity and suavity together. They've worked separately with small ensembles, as well as their Japanese and American large orchestras.

One of Fujii's strengths is her sense of ...