大村亘 on Jazz of Japan | Brian McCrory

Davy Mooney & Ko Omura: The Word

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Word (2025) is the second collaboration album from guitarist Davy Mooney and drummer Ko Omura. As with their previous release Benign Strangers (2018), each leader contributes five original songs to the album, interspersed in squence. The music is played by the same quintet of Mooney on guitar, Omura on drums and tabla, John Ellis on saxes and bass clarinet, Glenn Zaleski on piano, and Matt Clohesy on bass.

From first track, Omura’s “Sheep Wash”, you can immediately sense the great balance of dynamic energy and relaxed sweetness. The song’s bright swing and memorable melody initially seems simple but contains the subtle complexity of unexpected turns and rhythmic shifts. These qualities are found in all the superb writing and playing from Omura and Mooney, and the songs end up being finely crafted realizations of straight singable melodies that also act as reference ground for solo improvisations. While Omura plays drums on this first track, his devoted study to Indian tabla and music seem to be ingrained in his musical thinking as well, more so when he plays tabla and picks titles from Sanskrit words and concepts. (A different version of Omura’s “Sheep Wash” can be heard on Fe: Live at Virtuoso.)

Takako Yamada Trio: Live at The Moment

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Live at The Moment is a new album from pianist Takako Yamada’s jazz trio. The music was recorded during a live performance at The Moment in 2024 and released later that year. The Moment is a relatively new Tokyo jazz club, a polished recording studio-styled spot designed to produce and capture high-quality live audio, as was done with this album (jazz improv in the moment is a winning concept). Here, this sixty-one-minute set includes seven tracks, six jazz standards and one original song from the pianist.

Fe: Live at Virtuoso

Sat, 05 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

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.

eFreydut: Fairway

Sat, 30 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Fairway is a new Japanese jazz album recorded last year in New York and released in Japan just last month. Drummer Ko Omura, pianist Mikiko Nagatake, and bassist Kanoa Mendenhall form a trio known as eFreydut for this album. The gorgeously recorded music contains ten tracks of innovative and in-control original jazz with a running time of fifty-three minutes.

As is natural for these creative jazz musicians, this album features mostly original music stamped with individuality. There are five contributions from drummer Omura, three from Nagatake, and one group improvisation from all three musicians. The one covered song is the beautiful ballad “Touch Her Soft Lips and Part” by Sir William Walton, played with exquisite clarity and sweetness, and reminiscent of the gentle interpretation on drummer Peter Erskine’s 1996 trio ECM album As it Is with John Taylor and Palle Danielsson.

Polyglot: Talk, Vol. 1

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Polyglot is drummer Ko Omura, pianist Steve Barry, and bassist Kosuke Ochiai, an Australian-Japanese jazz trio project whose first album Talk, Vol. 1 was released in 2020. Each member contributes original music for the 58-minute album’s eight tracks, with five from the pianist, two from the drummer, and one from the bassist.

Similar to great jazz trios like those of Bill Evans and others, equal partnership is apparent as each member participates actively in the group sound to fill the space with cooperative creativity. While Barry’s piano is the leading voice for many of the theme statements, Omura’s drums and Ochiai’s bass follow and influence the twists, turns, and accents of the multi-cornered melody lines, resulting in a full and fascinating sound.

Mamoru Ishida: Ishida Mamoru 4 feat. Mike Rivett

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Pianist Mamoru Ishida’s second album is titled /Ishida Mamoru 4 feat. Mike Rivett /and was released in 2011. With nine tracks over fifty-two minutes, the album presents a mix of covers, standards, and original compositions. The warm ballad “These Foolish Things” invites listeners in comfortably with a nostalgic calm, introducing a graceful jazz combo that respects traditional forms and songs loved by jazz fans.

The music as a whole expresses this vintage, sincere jazz feeling generated by the players’ sensitivity as well as through the recording methods and equipment used. While this can seem to be something of a jazz throwback album (meant in a good way, a sound that can be set comfortably alongside favored music of the past greats), there are also several aspects of modern, assertive jazz making appearances as well… not to mention the Japanese and international context also layered in, described well in the excellent and extensive liner notes.

Bungalow: Abstract Messages

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract Messages is the final record from the group Bungalow, an album created under unique circumstances and with a different structure from previous releases. A mix of acoustic instruments and electronic sounds, the album is not only full of beautiful music but is also an accomplishment of coordination, both in its creation and the dynamic of the music.

Confined to two separate countries in 2020, the three remaining members of Bungalow were recorded in two different sessions. The two musicians Koichi Sato and Ko Omura recorded piano and percussion in Japan and handed off the recordings to third member Mike Rivett in Australia, who layered in saxophones, loops, and sound effects, and finished the mixing.

Naoko Akimoto: No One Else

Mon, 15 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Vocalist Naoko Akimoto’s debut release No One Else is a seven-song introduction to the popular singer, a presentation of standard jazz and Japanese pop arranged with care and performed by top musicians from Tokyo.

The arrangements are nice, particularly on the opening track “Moondance” which opens with a deep bass, piano, and vibes setting up a grove for Akimoto to lead the listener through the atmospheric drama of the tune. The decorated arrangements include vocal harmonies with trumpet, flute, and other instruments adding beautiful layers to the music.

Bungalow: Unseen Scenes

Sat, 14 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Like explorers on a caravan, Bungalow produces imaginative music on their third album Unseen Scenes from 2015, carving their unique path through new jazz and rhythms.

Compulsively rhythmic and compelling, this album is another fantastical journey through the nooks and crannies of modern jazz with exotic fringes. With Bungalow, creativity is in focus, and on Unseen Scenes this creativity often incorporates repeating riffs and loops of fresh drum patterns and evocative moods. Strands of music weave together to provide the fabric over which saxophone melodies arc and swoop. A combination of dense flavors, spicy accents, and lush spaces with some straight-ahead modern jazz as well.

Bungalow: Metropolitan Oasis

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Jazz quartet Bungalow issued an imaginative and flavorful debut album with Metropolitan Oasis in 2011. Striking and singular, the songs reward repeat listens by offering creative jazz compositions with stimulating blueprints. The songs ebb and flow with energy, grooves, and clever rhythms, where folk and ethnic influences converge with modern jazz, bop, classical, and free elements, pushing boundaries to reach new vistas.

Masahiro Yamamoto, an original member of Bungalow featured on their first two albums, plays alto sax with a warm, textured tone which bends and flutters with visceral energy while the band lays out arcane jazz sounds not confined to the genre. Whether on the free opener “Metropolitan Oasis”, the slinky rocker “Underpass”, the mysterious drama of “Human Lost”, or the elaborate pieces “Bastristurgisism” and “O.P.P.M.”, the album cleverly navigates and develops their art of sound with lovely constructions and comfortable escapism.

Koichi Sato: Utopia

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Takako Yamada: The Flow of Time

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Ko Omura: Introspect

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Bungalow: Past Life

Tue, 08 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Bungalow: You Already Know

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

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.