Albums

In memory of the lives taken by the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, three musicians formed the Tsutaete Ikou project. Pianist Seiji Endo and vocalists Hiroco Nagano and Shinya Nitta were touched by the brave and kindhearted students they met at a benefit concert, children who became an inspiration for the musicians. “Tsutaete Ikou” is the resulting heart-warming anthem, dedicated to strengthening the spirit of survivors and helping to soothe painful memories. The title echoes a stone monument at Ishinomaki high school which promises to tell their story forever. After disasters such as this, one may feel hopeless individually, yet the act of remembering together, passing the message on, and uniting with music does wonders to support the spirit. ...

Hitomi Nishiyama’s 2011 album Music in You features an established trio that shares a cohesive sensibility, creating beautiful textural moods with European-flavored jazz influences. As befits a group of skilled jazz musicians, the players breathe as one while creating textures of sound, restrained yet deep with emotion. Like the gracefully knotted thread art on the album cover, Nishiyama’s music also seems to be composed of delicate lines, intricately flowing and interweaving to create a weightless construction of deep substance. ...

Tomoka Miwa, Tokyo-based jazz and pop singer, uses her jazz palette on Colors in Silence, a live recording from 2015. Playing with a piano, bass, and drums combo, she sings jazz standards such as “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and “My Favorite Things” and the fan-favorite “A House Is Not A Home”. Some spice is added to the set with the classic bolero “Somos Novios”, and the groovy samba-funk “Skindo-le-le”, while the sultry “Love Dance” and the beautiful hymn “Hallelujah” add extra colors to the canvas. ...

Sumitty & the Funfair is a 2015 release from drummer Sumito Oi and his band of merry music makers, assembling here to produce an original work of creatively poppy jazz. Not circus clown tomfoolery, but, rather, light and glittery music played with a cheerful buoyancy and sensitivity by improvisational jazz musicians. The theme is musical fun, wide-smiled mirth carried by a sweet nostalgia for amusement park ambiance. As a drummer’s quartet, rhythm moderates the music delightfully, propulsive but never overpowering. Flutes with electric and acoustic instruments add evocative flavors, leading us through the fair and summoning musical images like childhood memories. ...

A jazz pianist who balances lyricism with boldness, Sachiko Ikuta leads a piano trio on Haru No Kaze (Spring Wind) from 2012. Legendary jazz trumpeter Terumasa Hino also joins on two songs, adding an adventurous splash of avant-garde improvisation to the album. Starting with the title track “Haru No Kaze”, the sense of an overture is felt through the light Japanese touches of a sweet melody which turns into the whirling winds of a solid jazz piano trio locking into a tune together. The next track, “Last Tango In Paris”, introduces a mood of evocative drama and intrigue with a relaxed beat. ...

Pianist Mayuko Katakura’s 2009 debut album Inspiration immediately impresses. The album kicks off at a rapid pace with “Blues For Tyner”, a tribute to one of her jazz inspirations pianist McCoy Tyner. Right from this fierce opening, Katakura’s amazing technique is on full display with angular, acrobatic lines flying through this up-tempo tune. In addition to speed, Katakura’s confident jazz piano sense extends to bluesy grooves and touching sensitivity. This is a pianist who plays with a dedication to the music and to those she has been inspired by. The ten tracks on Inspiration, with originals and nicely-arranged standards, make this a well-balanced set with a variety of tempos and moods. ...

Drummer Sohnosuke Imaizumi lays down impressive foundations with his debut album Rin. Having worked as a member of groups including Quasimode and Beatmoss, this is his first album as a leader. These 14 tracks feature his trio playing original songs and jazz standards, interwoven with hip-hop-influenced grooves and spacey drums-and-sampler interludes. A gorgeously-recorded drum and cymbal sound makes Imaizumi a pleasure to listen to as he plays with his well-suited bandmates. His rhythmic sense is masterful, lightly delivered with ease as he improvises fills, accents beats, and plays with time. His drumming is particularly in sync with bassist Kazuhiro Sunaga from the Japanese jazz group Quasimode, where Imaizumi previously drummed for five years and released five Blue Note releases. ...

Vayu captures a solo saxophone performance from veteran jazz player Toshihiko Inoue in 2006, released in 2016. Originally planned as an indoor solo performance, the fine spring weather lured Toshihiko Inoue outside to perform in a garden terrace. Surrounded by nature, Inoue’s music conveys gentleness and introspection, even inspiring birds to sing along with his mellow sounds. Quiet outdoor noises, the creaking of wood, and other ambient sounds create a peaceful mood as a recording which facilitates an absorbing experience. ...

Four accomplished musicians reunite for Needful Things, a live recording of original compositions, bewitching music with a touching beauty. Starting with a slow build-up of sounds and chant-like effects, the songs develop deeply, breathing traces of folk, pop, and contemporary jazz into melancholy themes. Without drums or percussion, the quartet is able to create a slightly floating feeling, while the players’ steady pulse keeps the time anchored, subtle yet solidly unwavering. ...

Vocalist Rie Taguchi leads a swinging sextet on her first full-length album, The Gift. Her sultry voice seems to crack smiles and reminisce on old times as she dips and sways through the music. Popular standards such as “I Wish You Love” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” convey her cheerful energy, hearkening back at times to a type of Las Vegas showroom jazz. Her bright charm describes a sparkling smile, perhaps even a tipsy grin as she gracefully sings the notes. ...

Pianist and composer Koichi Sato’s 2016 release Melancholy of a Journey features a distinctive jazz sextet: a piano trio adding clarinet and guitar for modern groundedness and cello providing graceful maturity. Sato conceived the main theme while traveling in Norway and viewing a certain painting. The work of art, Art Rolfsen’s “The Big Station”, graces the cover and inspired “The Railway Station”, a four-part suite arranged over four tracks. This music emerges and recedes through tracks #1, 6, 9, and 12, resulting in four distinct songs with common echoes. ...

Seiji Endo, a poet at the piano, plays his original compositions for solo piano on his second solo album Circle for Peace. While he plays unaccompanied throughout, a children’s choir (Zushi Iruka Jido Gasshoudan) also joins him briefly on tracks 1 and 11, reminding one of the childlike purity and hopefulness conceived in his music. Through sincerity depicted on the album cover and title, the concept is peace and comfort. Accordingly, Endo’s playing is full of emotion: tenderness and sensitivity ring throughout, with some melancholy mixed in, alternately romantic, classical, and soft pop at times. Melodic quotes from his previous album even make appearances. Overall, Endo conveys his personality through his soothing music filled with hope and beauty, calm and peace. ...

Takuji Yamada is a professional jazz musician who takes care with his jazz. His first album Lite Blue from 2012 reflects that care through his beautifully written compositions and nicely-arranged standards, not to mention his spot-on stimulating jazz sax playing. Accurate playing, adventurous phrasing, and emotional balance mark this modern jazz album with a distinctive New York flavor. The NY-based rhythm section players keep the soloist’s backdrop consistently interesting through the range of moods, from modern straight-ahead jazz to bluesy, groovy, and romantic. ...

Faith is the second album from Mayuko Katakura, an amazing jazz pianist with an impeccable touch that echoes jazz piano legends. Listening to Katakura, one can sense the fondness and appreciation for players like McCoy Tyner and Sonny Clark. In fact, the album’s wistful ballad “Blue Sonny” was written for Sonny Clark by Katakura. This straight-ahead jazz trio is marked by warmth between the musicians, who agreed to not over-arrange the recording session and have faith in the group and their love of jazz. Simple and irresistable, the group jumps in and swings hard together with skillful agility over five of the pianist’s originals and five jazz covers. The resulting sense of relaxation allows their individual mastery and group cohesiveness to produce exciting results, proving their faith to be well-rewarded. ...

Accomplished pianist Junichiro Ohkuchi leads a trio of solid veterans in the straight-ahead jazz tradition on his 2016 album Invisible. The trio works well together, demonstrating the equal partnership and careful intercommunication that occurs between professional jazz musicians. Evident throughout is a confident sense of risky looseness, with complete control of timing and notes, each member supporting and energizing one another. The pianist Ohkuchi contributes three original songs (the opener is a highlight) with other tunes by Andrew Hill, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, and others – undoubtedly influences on Ohkuchi’s piano style. The result is a skilled piano trio having a great time making high-caliber jazz. ...

Trumpeter Keisuke Nakamura leads a group of contemporary jazz musicians called Humadope, a post-bop Jazz Messengers-styled quintet with a trumpet-sax front line and piano-bass-drums rhythm section. The name itself (a mix of human/mad/dope) suggests a dangerous edge on blisteringly fast tunes as the skilled soloists riotously burn through the changes. Yet, the group handily balances this attitude with a warm sensitivity played on soulful ballads and cooler numbers. This album consists of well-written original compositions with a few covers thrown in (Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones). Overall, this is an excellent debut with a variety of moods, tempos, and exciting solos showcasing some premium J Jazz from the current crop of musicians. ...

With a clean, clear pianist’s touch melding jazz with classical and a subtle rock sensibility, Hitomi Nishiyama’s 2007 album Many Seasons is reminiscent of great European jazz melodists (Giovanni Mirabassi comes to mind), with lyrical passages twisting through rich harmony and odd meters. Aside from the high technical prowess, the beautifully-written songs overflow with delicate emotion, with pangs of nostalgia and sweetness in abundance. This album was recorded in Stockholm with two Swedish musicians, befitting the graceful melding of European and Japanese musical minds on display. ...

Bass on Times is a 2009 album from jazz bassist Satoshi Kosugi, a well-known and active musician in Japan’s jazz scene spanning several decades. For this recording, Kosugi assembles familiar partners and veteran players such as the bluesy Shinji Hashimoto on guitar and Kazuhide Motooka on piano, to deliver hard-swinging standards such as “Monk’s Dream”, “Vierd Blues”, and “The Best Thing For You Would Be Me”. With good arrangements and strong bass, naturally, the well-established musicians deliver quality jazz with a genuine good spirit throughout this satisfying record. One happy highlight even has Kosugi joyfully whistling the melody on “There Goes My Heart” as he doubles with his bass line to open and close the swinging tune. ...

Kaori Vibes Quartet is a jazz quartet centered around the lovely ringing bell-tones of jazz vibraphone. After three years of playing together, the group formerly known as Vangy!! (note the vibraphone mallets “!!” in the name) released their eagerly awaited debut album Flying Mind in 2013, much to fans’ delight. The magically mellow yet bright sounds of the vibraphone fill the tracks of this album, bouncing through songs swinging with positivity and charm, creating relaxing, feel-good music. The compositions include foot-tapping modern jazz tunes, two pretty ballads, a soulful groovy number, and a speedy rendition of “Grease Piece” by Horace Silver – a rewarding effort for all fans of jazz vibraphone. ...

Flowers On The Hill is a beautiful album of tender and impeccably delivered music from the vocalist Akiko Suda. The album features lovely original compositions together with jazz, bossa nova, and pop standards performed artistically with creative arrangements. The talented musicians play sensitively and at times sound like a Brad Mehldau-inspired modern jazz piano trio, creating a lush background for Suda’s masterful voice. The album starts strongly with four catchy and elaborate originals penned by Suda and pianist Yuichi Narita, then moves into jazz and pop territory. Novel versions of “Waters of March”, “Doralice”, Chick Corea’s “Crystal Silence”, and the jazz standards “How About You” and “What a Wonderful World” fill out the middle of the tracklist. The album closes sweetly with two pop songs, Paul McCartney’s “Blackbird” and Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today”, a pairing perfectly matched with the band’s modern, affectionate mood. ...

Okurimono is a two-track release from vocalist Hiroco Nagano with pianist Seiji Endo. On the first track, the duo takes a relaxed approach to the beautiful jazz ballad “Someone To Watch Over Me”. On track two, guitarist Arata Umahara joins in on “Okurimono”, an original song written by Endo with Japanese lyrics penned by Nagano. Although there are only two tracks here, the music serves to whet the appetite and showcase the sweet, sensitive music crafted with love and care. ...

Pianist Sayaki Kishi and cellist Mayumi Sano released their first album together under the moniker Arco with Asymmetry in 2017. The pair’s music consists of original songs with a single Bach composition, all played in lovely and skillful arrangements. With more than a slight touch of classical elegance, the music spans various moods with verve: upbeat, fresh, somber, and refined. Although it may be apt to call this music classical-pop or pop-classical rather than typical jazz, the improvisational spirit and composed musicianship are definitely on display and quite enjoyable. ...

Featuring Te, a 2014 release from pianist Sayaka Kishi, is a fun and bright collection of original solo piano tunes with some guest musicians contributing as well. This album’s printed title feat.手 (“Featuring Hands”) fittingly describes the pianist’s concept, to create a fun jazz album showcasing original compositions for piano (and hands) with jazz, pop, and classical influences. As the songs play out, one gets the feeling of dipping into Kishi’s deep store of originals, ranging from upbeat energy to comfortable dreaminess with several musical genres melded together. Along with her compositions, the album closes with a graceful rendition of the traditional ballad “Danny Boy”. ...

Fun and buoyant bebop jazz in the style of Oscar Peterson and Phineas Newborn Junior, this is a happy jazz record from a thoroughly swinging trio led by pianist Akane Matsumoto. Professional arrangements performed by highly skilled musicians result in a solid album ranging from amazing quick-tempo tunes to slower, romantic brush-stroke ballads. Matsumoto’s fourth album as a leader, Night & Day features the accomplished pianist with her “New York Trio,” her second release with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Gene Jackson since Memories of You (2015). ...

Alto saxophonist Ayumi Koketsu released a sophisticated tribute to Art Pepper on her album Art from 2016. With slick bop lines and a fresh spirit, Koketsu and her bandmates deliver the goods sincerely, kicking things off at high tempos with “Cool Bunny” and “Straight Life” before moving into other moods of mid-tempo bop and ballads. Koketsu is a prolific artist who releases high-quality albums and often uses overseas musicians for her backup band. This album will satisfy fans of straight-ahead jazz quartets with a bright and exciting saxophone prodigy taking center stage. ...

On Bungalow’s fourth album You Already Know (2017), the modern jazz group does what they do best with creative jazz, new ideas, and textured sounds. This album is rich with catchy ideas and incorporates elements of jazz groove, free jazz, Indian tabla drums, and electronic sound effects. You Already Know is part of the band’s series of adventurous and atmospheric releases filled with strong hooks and compelling rhythms. While vamps and percussion anchor the music, shifting tempos, primal folk elements, dreamy improvisation, and some noise effects also factor in on tracks such as “Gravity Snap”, “Imagined Winter”, and the graceful title track. Whether you already know Bungalow’s music or not, this music does take you places. ...

An elegant package inside and out, brimming with atmosphere. The outer package is a slim booklet, containing photography, a poem, and an essay. The music itself is a modern take on classic jazz songs with Japanese words and flavor sprinkled throughout, featuring excellent arrangements by pianist Koichi Sato. Emiko’s voice is front-and-center and spans the gamut from quick instrumentesque aerobics to passionate crooning. Vocals, piano, Fender Rhodes, and an innovative stand-up drum set constitute the core of the group, and several other instrumentalists contribute to the album, with material ranging from dreamy and moody to light and shimmering. ...

Incomplete Voices is the latest release from the Ryosuke Hashizume Group, released in 2017. As with prior albums, this is a wonderful collection of carefully conceived modern jazz compositions showcasing the saxophonist’s concepts and the tight-knit group dynamics. Close attention is paid to the harmonic and rhythmic layers in the music with excitement built on climactic resolutions and striking moods. The music is sleek, organic, and hypnotic at times. For example, track #3 “Synesthesia” is particularly magical as time and pulse slip and shift as the music develops; at other times, the group locks into a detailed groove, or opens up the framework and allows timekeeping to fade from the audio palette. The roomy improvisational passages are filled with emotional passion and rooted by the quintet’s empathy established through years of live and recording experience. ...

The jazz style of pianist/composer Yasumasa Kumagai has always been pinned to the leading edge of modern J Jazz built on a foundation of straight-ahead jazz standards and jams. With a strong influence from jazz pianist Robert Glasper, a one-time teacher of Kumagai, this pianist flows naturally with his fearless compositions and modern angles. Kumagai’s music is no-nonsense jazz rooted in tradition amidst elements of groovy gospel music, Latin flavors, and funky hip-hop — all with a fashionable streetwise attitude and a good-natured sense of humor. ...

Niwatazumi is a wonderful modern jazz record from drummer Kazumi Ikenaga and Pauseland, a Danish group described as ambient jazz with Scandinavian folk influences. Spacey original compositions and mature musicianship flow in a breathy, open style resembling a modern ECM recording. Relaxing and anthemic, the music on Niwatazumi (translated as a large puddle remaining after heavy rainfall) is at times mesmerizing and at other times gently rocking and grooving. It’s a captivating journey from a drummer’s quintet, focused on ethereal ambiance in a way that constructs scenes and visions drawn out of nature, memories, and the texture of life. ...