安藤正則

Unity is the sixth album from trumpeter Hikari Ichihara and the second album from the Hikari Ichihara Group band name, following their excellent debut release Move On from 2010. Unity, released in 2011, features nine original songs and a playtime of fifty-six minutes. The music on this album is straight-ahead jazz built on the familiar format of trumpet-sax-piano-bass-drums hard-bop quintets. The playing style has a modern jazz feel with a mix of swing beats and straight-eights that is rooted in an energetic, soulful style, the kind that fans of Jazz Messengers and similar classic Blue Note era albums will find immediately appealing. ...

Appreciation is pianist and composer Naoko Tanaka’s 2022 jazz release, her latest in a series of exciting new albums from young Japanese musicians. Several of her previous leader albums (Home, I Fall In Love Too Easily, Memories) featured her piano trio as a trio, which Appreciation also does. But this release also brings in the expert sounds of horn players Yoshiro Okazaki (trumpet), Takayuki Sato (alto sax), and Mabumi Yamaguchi (tenor sax) for three songs. In the rhythm section with the sparkling star are her regular trio members Koji Yasuda on bass and Masanori Ando on drums. ...

Starry Nights is the latest album from the Kaori Vibes Quartet. This is leader Kaori Nakajima’s third album with her group, following her Flying Mind and /Cross Point /releases. On her debut album, Nakajima’s quartet previously went by Vangy!!, a charming name that combines the V from vibraphone with an initial from each musician, and decorated with two mallet-like exclamation points… though, four “!!!!” would also work, as Nakajima impressively plays the instrument with two mallets in each hand in the style of famous modern jazz vibists Bobby Hutcherson and Gary Burton. ...

On his debut album First Touch from 2021, George Nakajima delivers the curated sound of his jazz piano trio, thoughtfully balancing song choices and playing set modestly between modern edge and old-fashioned homage. Through its seven tracks, the album is easy to enjoy and runs for a satisfying 46 minutes. Joining the pianist are Nakajima’s long-time musical partners Yoshida Yutaka on bass and Masanori Ando on drums, a trio with a locked-in feeling created through years of performing together in Japan’s live scene. ...

A satisfyingly neat outing, Naoko Tanaka Trio’s Memories (2015) leaves a fresh impression of modern Japanese jazz trios. The playing on this album is both playful and precise, with considered arrangements and decorations sprinkled through the welcoming music. Light touches and coordinated rhythmic hits play a role, hinting at styles employed by greats such as the Ahmad Jamal Trio. Attention is paid to the structure of each song, and as with any good jazz record, those structures are filled out with each soloist’s improvisations, bouncing solos off the harmonic movements and the rhythmic frames. ...

Hikari Ichihara’s fifth album Move On features the trumpeter’s quintet performing finely-tuned compositions with jazz integrity and a vibrant sound full of sparkling energy. The tracks range from knife-edge sharp modern jazz, bouncy swing, wistful ballads, and rapid-fire straight ahead jazz. Also included is a single jazz standard, a fresh interpretation of “Everything Happens To Me”, delivered here with a relaxed groove. The quintet consists of strong, like-minded players who play with a polished yet intimate feeling, creating a solid framework for the improvisers to gracefully leap and flow over. Ichihara’s trumpet solos consistently capture attention, full of impressive decorative swoops and turns, loaded with dramatic soul and a beautifully fluid and organic sound. ...

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. ...

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. ...