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”. ...