Cheers! is the happy-go-lucky title of pianist Saki Ozawa’s debut release from 2023. It’s a fitting greeting as an introduction to this set as one that is pleasantly nimble and widely lighthearted in style. The merriment of this statement begins even from the front cover image: a fun shot of the smiling pianist in an illustrated setting with friendly-looking characters including happy drinkers, a cat on a couch, and a duck with a backstory. ...
Longing is the title of a 2023 jazz duo album from saxophonist Yosuke Sato and pianist George Nakajima. This is an eight-song, forty-five-minute album of familiar jazz standards and two Japanese pop songs. Of the eight songs, the first six are played by the elegant hand-in-glove duo of saxophone and piano. To wrap up the album, the duo becomes a trio as vocalist Ema joins in for the last two songs, singing beautifully in English and Japanese. The album’s title Longing may lean into some unnamed persistent desire portrayed in their playing, the long ago brought to life through their selection of timeless songs. ...