Maki Fujimura

United by a stellar theme of the universe, the Tokyo jazz quartet Blue Dot explores stars and galaxies on their debut album Halo from 2016. Through ten songs tuned to the mysteries of space and time, the music is solidly modern and positively charged. Tokyo-based drummer Makoto Takeshi leads a quartet consisting of sax, piano, bass, and drums, with original songs supplied by all members of the group. The energetic opener, “Sturm und Drang” (by pianist Tamashi Goto) is a sharp-edge sprint through modern jazz, while “Bird” (by bassist Goro Takano) is a creative and mesmerizing tune, soft and deep, inspired by dreams of flying. ...

Glamorous Osaka-based singer Maki Fujimura enraptures the audience with her silky voice and energetic improvisation on this live album recorded at the intimate Tokyo jazz bar “Apple Jump”. Going by “The Duo!” together with the amazing pianist Hideaki Hori, the two musicians expertly create music with pulse, Fujimura building upon and playing with Hori’s rhythmic timing and impeccable pianistic touch, with her soft yet strong vocals gliding around the piano’s notes in perfect interplay. ...