Robbie Lynn Hunsinger, Tatsu Aoki: Robbie Lynn Hunsinger and Tatsu Aoki Vol 1

Chicago-based artist and educator Robbie Lynn Hunsinger is a restless experimenter.  Trained as a classical oboeist, she is equally at home improvising on both the oboe and other woodwinds and strings. Some of these instruments originate from South and East Asian folk traditions and are rarely heard in jazz.  Bassist Tatsu Aoki is equally innovative and brings a unique approach to creative music that is a perfect amalgam of east and west.  Hunsinger and Aoki have long collaborated, and their seamless camaraderie is evident on the captivating Robbie Lynn Hunsinger and Tatsu Aoki Vol 1.

The seven originals that comprise the release are introspective, lyrical, and seeped in mysticism. For instance, "Undone" is a haunting and poetic duet.  Hunsinger's alto saxophone lets loose long, undulating lines that sound a bit like a Levantine reed flute.  Aoki, meanwhile, contributes tender, mellifluous phrases that complement Hunsinger's performance.  Together, they infuse the tune with a subtle melancholy and a goosebump-inducing emotional depth. Hunsinger's fiery solo ushers in the quiet conclusion.

There are also moments of delightful dissonance, one example of which is the thrilling "The Search."  What starts as an erudite dialogue between Hunsinger's bowed violin riffs and Aoki's pizzicato notes coalesces into a single, angular improvisation. The mood overall remains contemplative as Hunsinger switches to the single string Gopichand and continues the crisp, crystalline yet also serene conversation with Aoki's eloquent bass.

This overlap of various heritages is heard throughout and, perhaps most clearly on "Residential Issues."  Hunsinger's rustling percussion mirrors Aoki's thumping basslines.  Then, as Aoki lays down a soulful, swaggering cadence, Hunsinger alternates between the double-reed Indian Shehnaiand the Chinese Suona.  By contrasting the Shehnai's mellow and resonant sound with Suona's brighter and more burnished one, Hunsigner weaves a vibrant melody over Aoki's blues-tinged refrains.

On this mesmerizing recording, Hunsinger and Aoki take a cross-cultural improvisational journey.  These seven interlinked meditative pieces stimulate and move, making Robbie Lynn Hunsinger and Tatsu Aoki Vol. 1 simultaneously provocative and accessible.  The album is a definite highlight in the pair's uniformly superb body of work and remains fresh even after multiple "spins."

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