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. ...
For many people, classical music can be very relaxing, a soothing balm at certain times, or in uncertain times. Some jazz music is regarded in the same way, and there is even smooth jazz, after all. What about both classical and jazz, together? Classical jazz, or jazz classical? Jazz-classical crossovers, fusion, or merges? (Pianist Ethan Iverson recently shared an engaging article on the “Jazz Brain/Classical Brain” divide, which aligned serendipitously with what I had been thinking about this week.) ...
Another Ordinary Day from 2002 is pianist Harumi Nomoto’s debut album as a leader of her own jazz trio… actually, two jazz trios. Recorded over two summer days in Tokyo, the exciting young pianist runs through eight tunes: five songs with one trio arrangement and two songs with a second trio. Also included among the trio tracks is one solo piece, where Nomoto plays on piano the quiet and affectionate “You Only Know What I Know” by saxophonist Atsushi Ikeda. ...