Albums

Pianist Michiyo Matsushita’s Sally Gardens is a lively solo piano album featuring original compositions set against a few Irish folk songs and jazz standards. Through the rich, evocative style of folk music (“Sally Gardens”, “Paddy Ryan’s Dream”), Matsushita’s playing is sweet and comforting, enhanced with fascinating reharmonizations and arrangements. The two jazz standards (“Liza”, “Segment”) impressively show various sides of Matsushita’s jazz playing, with elements of classical, bebop, stride, and other facets of piano surfacing in exciting contrasts. ...

Sakura Meditation from pianist Seiji Endo is a gorgeous collection of evocative solo piano pieces. Through the ten tracks, Endo searches for and finds the perfect phrases and dramatic touches to draw out emotion from his beautiful and pure compositions. Most of the songs are just three to five minutes long with strains of classical and slightly jazzy influences surface in the music. The music deeply evokes feelings ranging from pretty etude-like sketches to the childlike innocence of a lullaby, to pieces overflowing with romantic drama and emotional depth. Endo’s poetic style and his passion are directly focused through a soft touch and breath-like pulse: simplicity and brevity through understated effectiveness. ...

At times light and carefree, yet also deeply and seriously musical, Sayaka Kishi’s “pure music” spirit shines beautifully on Colors. While the pianist is a vibrant part of many collaborations covering standard jazz, pop, classical, and Latin fusion among others, here with her group Sayaketts the trio focuses on a fusion of electric funky jazz and R&B pop music amid calmer moments and heart-warming pop-styled piano jazz. About half of the 13 songs on this album are upbeat, funky, and energized with the sounds of keyboards, piano, electric bass, and drums: glittery music full of energetic live and rock beats. Aside from the fun jams, other songs are charmingly cute and positive (“Iris”, “GAME”) with others crafted to be deeply serious and dramatic scene-stealing compositions (“Dilemma”, “Tegami”, “Toki No Itazura”, “Guzen No Waltz”). While the mood shifts are frequent, the variety of colors explored leaves a rich and lasting impression of fun, welcoming, and engaging music. ...

Taihei Asakawa’s beautiful Touch of Winter from 2013 is a contemplative jazz album rooted in calm emotion: Memory, melancholy, and rebirth combine to paint stimulating music on a pure white winter tableau. The 10 original songs on this album unfold in the emotion-heavy Brad Mehldau vein of modern piano trio jazz. Patient, somber ballads lie alongside straight-ahead compositions thick with melodic effusions, traces of classical influence, and bluesy suggestions as well. ...

Utopia is the debut leader album for pianist Koichi Sato, who reaches for high standards in his original compositions and impressive performances. This is stimulating modern jazz performed by a piano trio not limited by standard jazz conventions, based in jazz tradition while incorporating some classical and pop influences as well. The nine original songs on this album are full of lyrical freshness balanced with impeccable timing and a sensitive touch. The music covers territory from dream-fantasy jazz waltzes, Lennie Tristano-style post-bop, melancholy ballads, and groovy rock-beat uplifting music, all united with sense of the peace and comfort brought about by Sato’s poetic vision of utopia. ...

Ami Fukui’s second album Amizm advertises “Mellow and Groovy” on the label, and delivers a nice package of funky, Electrik Band-styled jazz. Amizm, this version of Fukui’s jazz piano trio format, brings together piano, electric keyboards, slick electric bass, and exciting drumming to imbue a classic and bright fusion jazz sound to Fukui’s modern compositions. The longer tracks #2 “Lion’s Empire”, #4 “Absinthe”, and #8 “Jungle City” showcase these characteristics best and build on Fukui’s trademark creativity. Her song craft is as sweet as ever and includes catchy melodies and transitions, joyful rhythms, and groovy riffs used to great dramatic effect. ...

Modern to the point of futuristic, Open the Green Door features an exciting jazz piano trio with the pianist Hakuei Kim leading a stellar Australian rhythm section of Ben “Donny” Waples on bass and Dave Goodman on drums. With the mature confidence of solid musicianship balanced with fresh enthusiasm, the trio strives for musical excellence with impressive nimbleness and dark, atmospheric explorations. The album features eight tracks made up of five original compositions from the pianist and three reworked jazz standards. ...

Yasumasa Kumagai’s debut album from 2008, I Need a Change, Too, establishes his J Jazz hip hop concept with force: From the shocking pink cover art and the unexpected electronic soulful beats of the brief opening track “I.N.T.R.O.”, the album takes thrilling twists and turns through jazz laced with groove, centered on a powerfully soulful and vibrant modern jazz piano trio. Fun and catchy but with a serious musical depth, the music covers both cool and bittersweet moods, at times evoking influences from Robert Glasper’s style of gospel-inspired hip-hop jazz. Kumagai’s songwriting skill and precision playing make for a high-quality J Jazz album, full of soul and passion rooted in authentic jazz with ultra-modern sharpness. ...

Unconditional Love is the 11th album from pianist Hideaki Hori and features his trio playing live at Nardis, a gem among Tokyo’s many respected and intimate jazz bars. Throughout this double album, the trio captures the relaxed and friendly atmosphere that this home-ground bar provides, all while creating top-notch jazz to delight the audience. Unconditional Love features songs recorded live over three consecutive nights at Nardis. Presented on the two discs as “1st set” and “2nd set”, this arrangement gives the listener the feel of being a part of the in-house audience from the first song to the encore. The long-established trio’s playing is impeccable with high levels of musicianship and solidarity, eliciting joy and affinity from the audience. ...

Moving Color is the second album from saxophonist Akihiro Yoshimoto and his quartet. With eight original songs drawn from his palette, he blends serious musical exploration and improvisation with elements of modernity, jazz tradition, and a bit of humor. Strength in composition and group cohesion is clear: the quartet plays confidently, as if they are disclosing a secret bit by bit, modestly exhibiting their skills yet playing with brimming energy and a locked-together sense of where they are going. ...

“Swing & Blues” is the name of the game with /Big Catch/’s jazz quartet album from 2013. Undoubtedly, the concept of a jazz sax giant meeting a piano trio is a tried and true formula on classic jazz albums (“Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson” and “Coleman Hawkins with the Red Garland Trio” come to mind), and this quartet upholds the tradition properly with a big sound and spirit, singing and swinging, bluesy and fun all-around good-feeling jazz. ...

Popular pianist Yukako Yamano’s 1st Stage is a rich and airy musical soufflé. Her catchy debut album from 2013 mixes together swinging jazz, modern fusion, cute pop, and straightforward sincerity. On 1st Stage, the world-traveling pianist introduces eleven of her feel-good melodies and propulsive rhythms as she balances unpretentious cheer with dramatic tension on the lively tracks. The listener may notice subtle Japanese pop and classical influences in the playing. With quick energy and clever movements, the music is fun, bold, and sincere. The songs vary from grooving straight-beat swing (“Over Parents”, “On A Sunny Moon”), rock-style solo piano (“Galopping Ponies”), romantic, sad ballads (“Another Step”, “Kanashimi No Mukougawa”), serious adventures (“Double A”, “City Walker”), anthemic ballad-rock (“Kanashimi No Mukougawa”), and quirky, candy-sweet fusion (“Wild Sweets”). On the whole, the album strives to involve the listener directly without overcomplicating the compositions, all while ensuring the musicians are having fun creating music together and keeping the audience hooked. ...

Takako Yamada’s The Flow of Time features 11 original compositions from the pianist, a bold collection of exciting moods and modern compositions in adventurous style. Starting assertively with a modern jazz/rock feel, electric guitar and acoustic piano lay out high opening stakes for an album filled with dramatic creativity. The songs explore moments of musical sensitivity, relaxed swing, Monkish joy and freedom, and bluesy contemplation, with full sounds of crystal piano tones, warm electric guitar, bright drum work and deep, dark bass anchoring the group sound. ...

Drummer Ko Omura leads the listener on his voyage of introspection on his debut album Introspect, portraying the colors and maps of his musical mind. This 2011 recording features eight tracks: six original songs from Omura in his detailed, catchy style, unfolding story-like with depth and groovy accuracy. The music brims with fiery energy, passionate yet also containing also a smoldering, somber melancholy. Two of the tracks are group-created free jazz collaborations, splashes of color adding mystery and adventure. The recorded audio is also done beautifully, with separation of drums and cymbals gracefully captured with a lush live sound. ...

Jazz pianist Taihei Asakawa pushes boundaries on his 2011 release Catastrophe in Jazz. This modern jazz piano trio album is a fascinating one, balancing moments of furious musical fire, where rapid melodic lines are played as if by electric guitar, alongside slower melancholic moments of pianistic beauty, heavy with emotion. The 12 original songs on this album range from hot to cool, exploring clever odd-metered structures, modern lyrical European-style jazz, energetic rapid-fire aggression, classical piano sounds, moments of meditative reflection, and even quirky hiphop-influenced jazz pop. ...

Tokyo-based jazz singer Sanae Ishikawa sings from her heart, presenting her full, confident voice on choice jazz standards with her 2007 debut Feel Like Makin’ Love. Her beautiful, crystal-clear delivery resonates with an easy joyfulness and charm, yet can also reflect depths of dramatic emotion to moving effect. Building on the strength of her veteran backup musicians, her innate jazz timing elevates the performance and welcomes the listener straight into the music. ...

The jazz group Bungalow displays their original approach to modern art jazz on their second album, Past Life, from 2013. As a jazz quartet featuring airy alto sax and piano, double bass, and drums, the group incorporates creative musical elements such as the use of Indian tabla drums and subtle sound effects and processing, a bit similar to the style of the Swedish jazz group E.S.T. Bungalow’s compositions are in focus here, and like modern songwriting from Wayne Shorter, the music differs from standard jazz patterns with interesting, well-constructed songs, featuring elements of upbeat swing, poetic and meditative calm, visceral rock and organically looping riffs, embellished with searching melodies and smart improvisation played brilliantly. This is well-balanced and addictive modern jazz that weaves deep musical grooves with imaginative compositions and skillful playing, reflecting future-facing sounds built on traditional music from Past Life. ...

Saxophonist Ayumi Koketsu creates exciting modern jazz on her third album Rainbow Tales from 2012, where she leads of group of accomplished Norwegian musicians on a modern-sounding recording. The session was beautifully captured at the famous Rainbow Studios in Oslo, where the European-label ECM sound seems to influence the session under Koketsu’s leadership and virtuosity. With crystal clear sax and cymbals riding above the warm, full piano and deep wood bass, this style is particularly noticeable on “Mikazuki” (Crescent Moon), a folk/rock-like tune reminiscent of Keith Jarrett. ...

Joyful notes flow effortlessly from pianist Yuya Wakai as he confidently opens his solo piano album Images. His catchy exuberance is on display as he flies colorfully through chords reminiscent of Keith Jarrett’s fluid style. On ballads such as the charming “Easy To Love” and heartfelt “Over The Rainbow”, Wakai plays with a loving touch. Different sides of standard jazz and solo piano are portrayed among the eleven tracks. Exciting drama builds with a rock-ish, upbeat “Better Days Ahead” (Pat Metheny) and a pop exploration of “Great Day” (Paul McCartney) which evokes music Brad Mehldau might offer. A moving cover of a Japanese animation theme, “Aimo Tori No Hito” is included, played in a sad yet hopeful mood with deep meaning. ...

Pianist Miki Hayama creates superb jazz on Wide Angle, exploring powerful, edge-of-your-seat quickness with modern dimensions. This album is her third as a leader and received awards from the Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal in 2009 and 2010. With the album title perhaps being a nod to the angular McCoy Tyner-ish style of playing that Hayama excels at, the music is full of various moods. Hayama’s trio thrives on quick tempo and high-energy improvisation, a great platform for the pianist’s skill with rapid patterns and leaping bursts. Her agile solos are full of notes which seem to climb and swirl and fall into place like musical puzzle pieces. At mid-tempo songs and slower ballads, her graceful side shows an impressive command of modern jazz piano and smartly constructed arrangements. ...

Ideal for peaceful, calming piano, Ken’ichiro Shinzawa’s Piano Works features seven original compositions with a sweet purity in the musical message. The slow, melodic music conveys a pure innocence, almost evoking Japanese Studio Ghibli movies with scenes of happy animated characters walking through peaceful woods and resting on hillsides. With song titles like “Gentle Breeze” and “Quiet Leaves”, the pianist may have been in a similar state of mind when composing these piano sketches. ...

The Hara Dairiki Trio creates a jubilant atmosphere on You’ve Changed, playing choice jazz standards from the bebop and straight-ahead jazz songbook. The drum-led trio creates a live sound, bright and open, in a chord-less configuration consisting of drums, bass, and alto sax. The stripped-down sound creates both purity and rawness that pulls the listener straight into the music, loose and fun and in control, with soaring, bebop saxophone fluidly soaring over the solid double bass and drum foundation. ...

From Osaka-based label Atelier Sawano comes this beautifully-recorded jazz trio recording starring pianist Manabu Ohishi. The label’s concept of “hand-made jazz” features jazz music which one could describe as having Japanese attention to detail and craftsmanship with European touches. On Wish, the music upholds the classic jazz piano trio tradition, evoking lyrical jazz trio recordings such as those from the Bill Evans Trio. Ohishi’s strength as a romantic melodist is evident as the opening notes from the piano sound, heavy with sentimentality. His vibrant improvisations often unspool with passion, as if he is pushing notes out physically from the piano, squeezing out as much expression and emotion as possible. ...

This 2016 album simply entitled Live from Hitomi Nishiyama’s Parallax piano trio marks 10 years since her label debut Cubium in 2006. With various projects and albums released under her name, this is the third release for her Parallax group, an edgier, groovier, and rhythmically-energized jazz piano trio. Recorded live over two nights at the Creole jazz bar in Kobe, the eight songs feature her original compositions plus a rearranged “My Favorite Things”, with a new pulse and layers added to the popular standard. ...

Pianist Mayuko Katakura’s 2015 album The Echoes of Three captures an exciting reunion of old friends whose strong connections and shared history result in a high-level trio session. With plenty of speedy McCoy Tyner angularism and Monkish spontaneity, Katakura spurs the trio on, delivering a great balance of compositional planning with in-the-moment abandon. The first five tracks are back-to-back originals, starting with the contemplative “Echo” leading into the bouncing “Into Somewhere” (based on the standard “Out Of Nowhere”), the exquisite “A Dancer’s Melancholy” (also performed on her 2010 recording Faith), a fiery group improvisation “At The Studio (Reunion)”, and the modern “Directions”, honoring influences from jazz pianists Mulgrew Miller and Geri Allen. ...

Three established musicians join up to release Les Komatis, a rich fusion of jazz, pop, and Brazilian influences combined for thrilling and moving music. Voice, flute, and piano fill the aural landscape, with hand percussion adding a visceral rhythmic pulse. Starting with Akemi Ohta’s “Spur”, darting melodic lines weave over heavy piano riffs and harmonies on several songs, while other songs set up sensitive moods with ballads and bossa. The musicians even layer their voices in chorus at one point (on Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing”), permeating listeners with soulful warmth and passion. ...

Vibist Kaori Nakajima returns with her second album Cross Point featuring KVQ: Kaori Vibes Quartet (formerly Vangy!!), a jubilant combo with jazz vibraphone springing out mellow tones at the center. Starting with the high-energy “Cross Point”, the quartet explores directions from straight-ahead jazz and relaxed swing to quiet ballads and Spanish-tinged rubato. With skilled playing and engaging compositions, highlights include the pop-catchy “Dandelion”, the edgy “Flicker”, a nod to Horace Silver and Cedar Walton on “Golden Pine”, and the soft atmospheric reverb of “Moonlights Underwater”, summoning undulating waves in the comfort of twilight. ...

Jazz singer Atomi Hamada releases This is Atomi, a five-track debut featuring songs she has loved as jazz instrumental standards. Here, using her voice as an instrument, she adds a fresh dimension to songs that some listeners may have heard only instrumentally before. This is intimate, close-quarters jazz, with piano and bass backing up the vocals for a soft mellow mood. Starting with a quiet dynamic, Hamada sings a wistful “Round Midnight” before moving to a relaxed “Speak No Evil” and a cheery “All The Things You Are”. She wraps up the five-track album with a catchy “Ladies in Mercedes” and a reconstructed “Confirmation” to close the set on a bebop high. ...

Ami Fukui’s third album New Journey grabs the listener’s attention with colorful, immersive songs, 11 well-crafted originals played with exciting energy and vigor. Much of the music builds on strong rhythms and bassline hooks (credit given to Kudo and Fukumori, whose brightness and expert rhythms fit the music perfectly), over which catchy melodies soar. Throughout the album, surprises and discoveries often surface – bonus interludes, doubled-up lines, coordinated syncopation, even some voice and handclaps - compositional embellishments that demonstrate Fukui’s dedication to careful songwriting which pleases the listener. The result: lush music that grooves with fun, pure and simple. ...

The Japanese vocal-guitar duo Meu Coração releases the stunning A Tempo as a return to an earlier form. While the duo is well known for playing acoustic Brazilian music at sold-out concert halls and their Hall Tone albums, this sixth album presents dramatic variations with an exciting full-band sound. The album starts with a vibrant “One Note Samba” and also features a catchy “Lawns”, the peppy Brazilian tunes “Corrida De Jangada” and “Batacuda Surgiu”, and a sentimental, lush “Amazon River”. The album closes like a sweet lullaby with a dreamy “Love Me Tender”. ...