Struttin’ is saxophone player Ayumi Koketsu’s jazz quartet album released in Japan in 2010. This is her debut album, the first of over a dozen killer jazz albums that she has been releasing through the years, each filled with material ranging from straight-ahead, cool jazz, hard bop, ballads, bossa nova, and other themes. This first album features Koketsu on alto sax with her quartet of Yoshihiko Naya on piano, Masayuki Tawarayama on bass, and Mark Taylor on drums. ...
Alto saxophonist Ayumi Koketsu released a sophisticated tribute to Art Pepper on her album Art from 2016. With slick bop lines and a fresh spirit, Koketsu and her bandmates deliver the goods sincerely, kicking things off at high tempos with “Cool Bunny” and “Straight Life” before moving into other moods of mid-tempo bop and ballads. Koketsu is a prolific artist who releases high-quality albums and often uses overseas musicians for her backup band. This album will satisfy fans of straight-ahead jazz quartets with a bright and exciting saxophone prodigy taking center stage. ...