Satoko Fujii & Joe Fonda: Thread Of Light

When pianist Satoko Fujii and bassist Joe Fonda first recorded together in 2016 on Duet, it was a shot in the dark. Neither was familiar with the other's music. Nevertheless, that album generated outstanding synergy between these two master improvisers. So much so, that in a few short years they have recorded five albums together, occasionally in the company of other artists including Natsuki Tamura. The duo returns with Thread of Light an inventive and unusually produced album.

To keep musically active during the Covid pandemic, Fujii self-produced several albums from her home studio and released them directly to Bandcamp. It was on that platform that Fonda listened to the pianist's tracks and conceived the idea of laying bass tracks over Fujii's originals. Thread of Light goes beyond that notion with Fonda adding cello and flute to the mix. The levels of participation vary on tracks. "Kochi," following a bass lead-in, sees Fonda in a supporting role while "My Song" is a knotty and enjoyable bass solo number. Fuji and Fonda explore some far fringes on "Anticipating" and "Between Blue Sky and Cold Water." With little structure and without a safety net they frequently appear to be going in different directions but they are keenly aware of each other's presence.

The esoteric diversity in the collection broadens on "Wind Sound," a wraithlike excursion driven by flute, and augmented by Fujii's delicate work inside the piano. "Winter Sunshine" offers an upbeat respite from the lockdown slog; Fujii's piano touches on classical and folkloric influences. Someday, hopefully, not too far in the future, pundits will look back on the era of the pandemic and appraise the role of the arts of the time. Thread of Light deserves a place in that review of a remarkable, and devastating period of history.