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Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura: Gen Himmel / Dragon Nat / Tornado
by Hrayr Attarian
Pianist Satoko Fujii and her husband trumpeter Natsuki Tamura are one of the most boldly creative and fearlessly innovative couples in contemporary music. For the past three years they have also been quite prolific, releasing eight albums on their own Libra Records alone. This increase in productivity, however, has not come at the expense of quality ...
Orquesta Libre + Suga Dairo + RONxII: Plays Duke
by Eyal Hareuveni
Japanese drummer Yashuhiro Yoshigali's Orquesta Libre programs reflected the master musicians eclectic tastes and versatile capabilities--any thing from nuevo-tango, psychedelic hits from the sixties to Burt Bacharach and jazz standards, all performed in playful arrangements. So, dedicating a whole program to some of the most recognizable standards of Duke Ellington, few were popular dance songs, came ...
Satoko Fujii: Gen Himmel
by John Sharpe
A solo album tends almost inevitably to focus on instrumental chops rather than compositional skills. And that's the way it is on Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii's third unaccompanied outing, following Sketches (NatSat, 2004) and Indication (Libra, 1997), although she shows herself to be blessed with both. Compared to the exuberance and spirit of her group work ...
The La Barbera Brothers: Jazz DNA
by Nicholas F. Mondello
It's an interesting phenomenon how certain families enter and distinguish themselves in this marvelous world of jazz--The Joneses, Heaths, Candolis, Royals, Breckers, Mangiones, and others. Over the last five decades--even many more if one goes farther back to when they were young children playing in the family band with Mom and Pop--the La Barbera Brothers--John, Joe ...
Satoko Fujii Ma-Do: Time Stands Still
by Glenn Astarita
Several months after this recording, bassist Norikatsu Koeyasu died of a heart-attack in-between tours. Pianist Satoko Fujii decided that the band could not continue without his presence, citing his vital role and “telepathic connection." Hence, Ma-Do's third album will be its last. It's an unfortunate occurrence but a testament to the musicians' realization that a replacement ...
Satoko Fujii New Trio: Spring Storm
by John Sharpe
Back at the start of her career, Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii's reputation was considerably enhanced by her stellar trio with bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Jim Black. Together they waxed seven discs, with the last Trace A River (Libra) in 2008. Since then, the traditional piano trio hasn't appeared in her prodigious output, until the New ...
Satoko Fujii's Ma-Do and New Trio: Time Stands Still and Spring Storm
by Hrayr Attarian
Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii is a prolific and versatile musician whose fast pace and relatively large volume are never at the expense of quality. In fact her improvisation heavy records are innovative and cerebral yet they maintain a certain, surprising, accessibility. She has recorded in settings ranging from solo to large orchestra and always with a ...
Kawabata Makoto: Music Concrete, Space Resurrection, Self-Annihilation
by Jack Gold-Molina
Hailing from Japan, Kawabata Makoto has been a leader in psychedelic rock and experimental music, and an active performer and solo artist since the late 1970s. Mostly famous as a founding member/guitarist for Acid Mothers Temple since the mid- 1990s, he has released literally dozens of albums--many on psychedelic-colored vinyl-- and has done vital work with ...
Satoko Fujii ma-do: Time Stands Still
by John Sharpe
When asked why she has lead or co-lead so many different projects (23 at last count), pianist Satoko Fujii replied “It's like food. I don't like just Japanese food, but also Italian food, French food and so on, and I would soon get tired if I just ate Japanese food." If her ma-do quartet were to ...
Introducing Yasuhiro Yoshigaki's Orquesta Libre
by Eyal Hareuveni
Japanese drummer Yasuhiro Yoshigaki is one of the most influential drummers in the left-off-center alternative music scene in Japan. A close collaborator of sound sculptor Otomo Yoshihide, included in all incarnations of Yoshihide's New Jazz Quintet/Ensemble/Orchestra, and member of the groups Emergency! (with Yoshihide), Altered States (with guitarist Uchihashi Kazuhisa), Rovo (with violinist Yuji Katsui, former ...
