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Kazuki Yamanaka: Songs Unconscious-minded
Track review of "HAMABE-NO-UTA"
Multi-reedist Kazuki Yamanaka is a newly-minted jazz musician, assimilated into New York City and in touch with all of the right friends. For his debut recording as a leader,
Songs Unconscious- minded, Yamanaka has composed and arranged seven original compositions and one traditional Japanese melody, revealing in the bargain, a well-developed sense of musical self, possessing a calm but fearless creative nature. Central to the recording is the opener, "Let Go." It encapsulates Yamanaka's beyond post-bop vision and his proclivity for precise and focused composition.
But it is "HAMABE-NO-UTA," that reflects the emotional center of Yamanaka's playing. "HAMABE-NO-UTA" is Yamanaka's revision and performance of a traditional Japanese folk melody that strikes to the heart of post-swing saxophone playing. Yamanaka performs on a soprano saxophone, approaching a spiritual center like that of
John Coltrane sans the paroxysmal histrionics. The melody is simple, almost a western nursery rhyme, that is beautiful in its simplicity and grace. Add to this the saxophonist's band of bassist
Linda May Han Oh and drummer
E.J. Strickland coupled with pianist
Fabian Almazan and guitarist
Gilad Hekselman add a depth and gravity to the piece that quietly points out that, "this is important music: listen closely."
Track Listing
Let Go; Portrait Of Midnight; TA-KE-YA-BU; Do I Have A Blues?; Prayer
(Remembering March 11th); Lexington At 50th Street; Vertigo; HAMABE-
NO-UTA - Song Of Seashore.
Personnel
Kazuki Yamanaka: soprano saxophone; Gilad Hekselman: guitar; Fabian
Almazan: piano; Linda Oh: bass; E.J. Strickland: drums.
Album information
Title: Songs Unconscious-minded
| Year Released: 2015
| Record Label: Self Produced
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