One of contemporary jazz music's most prolific artists, pianist/composer/bandleader Satoko Fujii refuses to repeat herself except with a purpose. While she is never reticent to embark on novel adventures in composing, playing, arranging and recording, she is likewise hardly averse to revisiting previous collaborations in search of fresh inspiration in the context of the familiar. Devotees ...

Article: Album Review

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Dream a Dream

Read "Dream a Dream" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
March 18, 2025

Pianist Satoko Fujii's artistic vision has held a sharp focus since her recording debut in the late '90s. She has maintained that focus in almost every jazz ensemble configuration imaginable. That unwavering focus, combined with a superhuman creative momentum, has resulted--as of 2025--in a discography of more than a hundred albums. She has been especially effective ...

Article: Year in Review

John Sharpe's Best Releases of 2024

by John Sharpe
January 3, 2025

From the 200 or so discs that I heard in 2024, here are the ten new issues and three gems saved from obscurity, which gave me the most pleasure. As always these selections are entirely subjective, and take no account of the many other albums which I would no doubt have loved if I had heard ...

Article: Album Review

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Jet Black

Read "Jet Black" reviewed by Neri Pollastri

by Neri Pollastri
July 29, 2024

Nuovo trio per la brillante e prolifica pianista giapponese, stavolta con due giovani compagni --il già esperto Takashi Sugawa al contrabbasso e Ittetsu Takemura alla batteria --con i quali mettere in scena qualcosa di parzialmente diverso da quanto ci ha abituato ad ascoltare. La musica dell'album muove sempre da parti scritte dalla Fujii, spesso ...

Article: Album Review

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Jet Black

Read "Jet Black" reviewed by Doug Collette

by Doug Collette
January 27, 2024

Of all the varied settings in which Satoko Fujii places herself, the piano trio may be the most satisfying, if only because of the distinct way she and her respective bandmates stretch the boundaries of this ever-so-venerable instrumental concept. Hardly an exception to the rule of wholly arresting collaborative musicianship, Jet Black is the ...

Article: Album Review

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Jet Black

Read "Jet Black" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
January 16, 2024

The January 2024 release of Jet Black starts the year out right. It is the Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio's sophomore recording, presenting the Japanese pianist in one of her most compelling modes of expression: the piano trio. This is not foreign territory for her. She headed up a superb threesome with drummer Jim Black and bassist ...