Gene Jackson

As the sentimental mood hints at in the cover photo and album title, Akane Matsumoto’s 2015 release Memories of You shows a softer side with ballads and heartfelt tunes, set together with her well-renowned fluid bebop and happy jazz style. Rather than being filled to the brim with high-tempo chases, Matsumoto takes us on a more subdued and delicate journey on this album. While her trademark agility and speed are not completely excluded, the overall mood of the album evokes a slower, more thoughtful elegance. ...

Pianist Hideaki Hori lets his dexterous fingers do the talking on In My Words from 2010, a solid jazz trio record from Japan. Hori leads a bright, swinging trio on this jazz record, full of high-energy peaks and steady grooves. Extremely nimble in his playing, Hori’s clearly executed phrases fill his improvisation with exciting patterns and curlicues, urged on by the propulsive anchor of rhythm section members Daiki Yasukagawa on bass and Gene Jackson on drums. ...

Fun and buoyant bebop jazz in the style of Oscar Peterson and Phineas Newborn Junior, this is a happy jazz record from a thoroughly swinging trio led by pianist Akane Matsumoto. Professional arrangements performed by highly skilled musicians result in a solid album ranging from amazing quick-tempo tunes to slower, romantic brush-stroke ballads. Matsumoto’s fourth album as a leader, Night & Day features the accomplished pianist with her “New York Trio,” her second release with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Gene Jackson since Memories of You (2015). ...