Pianist Yusei Takahashi, bassist Keigo Iwami, and drummer Sota Kira are the three co-leaders of Setagaya Trio, a contemporary jazz group whose band name was inspired by meeting in the hip Shimokitazawa neighborhood of Tokyo’s Setagaya ward. This trio’s second album Progress was released in 2024 and follows their 2017 album Introducing Setagaya Trio, a debut released two years after their formation in 2015. Setagaya Trio’s concept is based on having all three players extend freely, rather than having one leader decide the group’s direction and style. This results in music that is freewheeling and fun with a risk-taking energy that is powered by their youthful, fresh attitude. The trio’s arrangements feel loose in a way, as if anything could happen, and they look forward to those unexpected surprises as challenges to meet head-on. At the same time, the tightness of their playing and arrangements is apparent, solid and effective. It’s an impressive bond arising from the extreme attention paid by each member to one another, no doubt paid off by their efforts and dedication to studied listening and practicing their art. ...

Long Way to Go is the title of pianist Kanoko Kitajima’s debut album, recorded and released in 2019. The sound of her piano trio recalls the swinging, bluesy trios of pianists like Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, and others from the 1950s and 60s Blue Note era. Added to that rich background is a dedicated Japanese interpretation of classic American jazz with an exciting New York City vibe as shown in the album cover. ...

Singer Layla Tomomi Sakai’s Stolen Moments is a 27-minute album from 2019, a follow-up to her two previous releases from 2016 and 2018 with a consistently pleasing and familiar core sound. That sound of Sakai, introduced on her debut album Whisper Not, is based on her intimate vocal/guitar/trumpet trio with Yuichiro Hiraoka on guitar and Ryuichi Takase on trumpet. Her second album The Island expanded the trio with more accompanying players, a pattern which continues here on Stolen Moments as her guest musicians create forms from duos to sextets on the different songs. ...

A markedly different destination in the collection of interesting jazz spots in Tokyo, Oto-ya Hiroo is an open performance space in the Hiroo Plaza shopping mall. The light-filled atrium on the second floor holds daytime jazz events, where a wide stage and folding chairs are set up right next to the mall’s central escalators. Figure 1: Naoko Akimoto (vocals), Daisei Mii (violin), and Yuichiro Hiraoka (guitar) at Oto-ya Hiroo in January 2025 ...

For 2 Akis is a 2018 release from the trio of Japanese drummer Shinya Fukumori, French saxophonist Matthieu Bordenave, and German pianist Walter Lang. This album from the Munich-based trio is the realization of Fukumori’s long-held desire to record for the German ECM label. The recording itself was made at a studio in the South of France, a location that evokes scenes of peaceful warmth and slow serenity. In addition to the music, it is perhaps this picturesque presence that was also captured in Fukumori’s concept and the trio’s playing on For 2 Akis. ...

Invisible Diary, released in March 2025, is the latest release from drummer Kaito Nakamura. On this sixty-three minute, nine-track album, Nakamura plays with his regular quartet of Riko Sasaki on saxophone, Otohito Fuse on piano, and Riku Takahashi on bass, and adds guitarist Ippei Kato on six songs. The trio of pianist Fuse, bassist Takahashi, and drummer Nakamura also played on Fuse’s album debut Isolated from last year. This album is a follow-up to Nakamura’s first album Blaque Dawn from 2022. In contrast to his debut record, Invisible Diary is entirely self-produced by Nakamura and released on his own label, a move that allowed him the freedom to imagine and direct the project entirely as he saw fit. Although Nakamura does not give away too many details, the songs on this release are meant to tell one conceptual story, and the listener is invited to form their own interpretations. The songs are all original compositions by drummer Nakamura. ...

Nardis is an excellent jazz spot in Kashiwa in the northwestern part of Chiba Prefecture. Kashiwa is a bit far flung from the core Tokyo neighborhoods and stations but is still considered part of the greater Tokyo area. While this live spot is a bit far compared to other centrally-located options, it is definitely worth the approximately hour-long train trip from Tokyo’s main hubs, and many jazz fans from the Tokyo area gladly make the journey to catch their favorite acts live here. ...

Trust is a 2024 release from the duo of pianist Akane Matsumoto and saxophonist Ayumi Koketsu. These two musicians are leaders of their own combos, members of other groups, and also friends and working bandmates for many years running. The pair have gathered a lot of performance experience from live shows and tours taken together and have developed a deep connection between their musical instincts. Surprisingly, Trust is the first album they’ve recorded together. This serendipitously timed release also commemorates twelve years of their working together, a number that is meaningful in Japan for its significance in cyclic durations and milestones, symbolizing the closing of loops and the start of new stages. Perhaps it can be said that trust grows over time, and it’s wise not to rush it. ...

The 2021 album Live at Virtuoso by the quartet Fe was released by the jazz club Virtuoso in the nightlife district of Akasaka in Tokyo, Japan. Virtuoso is a great name for a music venue. Aside from the word being a term for master musicians, fans of jazz guitar will immediately recognize the reference to jazz guitarist Joe Pass’s landmark series of Virtuoso albums. Naturally, Virtuoso features jazz guitar and guitar bands on many nights. The jazz club also occasionally releases albums such as this one on its in-house recording label. ...