Noriko Satomi: Project-N

Fri, 24 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Project-N is the debut album from violinist Noriko Satomi, a classically trained violinist and “Nissan Presents Jazz Japan 2019” award winner. Satomi is active in the Japanese jazz live scene as a jazz violinist and graces many live spots with her beautiful string tone and charming presence.

On this 67-minute album, Satomi leads a jazz quartet featuring Masaaki Imaizumi on piano, Kunio Oinuma on bass, and Masahiko Osaka on drums. This ambitious violinist released Project-N /in 2017, following up this debut with future releases /A Love Supreme (2019) and Duke String Quartet (2023), two excellent releases that focus her debut’s wide jazz spectrum into clear concept albums.

Yuichiro Aratake: Music Make Us One

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Yuichiro Aratake continues to express his compassionate vision with Music Make Us One, a live concert recorded in 2010 and released in a CD/DVD package. Through six songs, the 40-minute album features his expanded piano trio spotlighting harmonica, vocals, and an eight-member string section.

Two of the six songs are instrument-based tracks that feature Aratake’s expressive playing that supports bluesy harmonica playing together and warm string arrangements. Vocalist Ryutaro Makino joins on the other four songs, including Aratake’s “Family” and “Say We Love”. The violins, violas, and cellos in the string section add a classy texture to much of the album and, together with the song selection and arrangements, shifts the music into orchestral pop territory. The recorded live sound also captures the expansive feeling of a large stage and concert hall filled with an audience of fans.

生沼邦夫 on Jazz of Japan | Brian McCrory

Noriko Satomi: Project-N

Yuichiro Aratake: Music Make Us One