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Aki Takase: Something Sweet, Something Tender

AAJ Italy Staff By AAJ Italy Staff

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Disco diseguale questo Something Sweet, Something Tender di Aki Takase. La pianista giapponese si confronta in solitudine con alcuni autori che ne hanno segnato la crescita artistica (Monk, Dolphy, C. Bley, O. Coleman, il marito von Schlippenbach) e mette in mostra le proprie doti di scrittura soprattutto nella suite intitolata “Something for A“.

Ma non sempre Takase centra lo spirito delle composizioni con intuizioni originali o rivisitazioni all’altezza della sua creatività. Così a fronte di una strepitosa “Walking Batterie Woman”, energica, esuberante, un po’ inside e un po’ outside, vi sono, per esempio, i brani di Ornette Coleman che perdono molto della straordinaria miscela di forza e dolcezza che caratterizza l’opera del sassofonista di Fort Worth.

Da parte di Takase c’è la tendenza in, Something Sweet, Something Tender, ad accentuare oltre misura l’aspetto accademico della propria formazione appesantendo il clima delle esecuzioni e facendole virare verso zone di astrattismo a volte un poco fuori luogo.

Così, alla fine, il territorio sonoro dove riesce meglio a declinare la sintesi del suo stile compositivo e pianistico, in bilico tra armonie convenzionali e libertà assoluta, risulta la suite "Something for A". Sei brevi o brevissimi frammenti carichi di ricordi della terra natia che illuminano un disco, non sempre all’altezza delle cose migliori della pianista, ma complessivamente apprezzabile.


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Album information

Title: Something Sweet, Something Tender | Year Released: 2007 | Record Label: Enja Records


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