Ryu Kawamura

Oh, Lady Be Good is a piano trio album from Tokyo-based jazz pianist Akane Matsumoto. She’s been releasing trio recordings since 2008, along with albums playing with quartets and quintets, although her recent albums have featured her in small ensembles rather than her regular combos. In fact, since this record (recorded and released in 2019), her latest releases have focused on solo and duo formations, such as her piano album Little Girl Blue (2022), her duo with trombone on For My Lady (2023, with Nanami Haruta), and her latest piano and saxophone duo release Trust (2024, with Ayumi Koketsu). All of which is to say that this album, Oh, Lady Be Good, is her most recent jazz piano trio release. ...

In the style of classic apostrophe-bearing jazz album titles, pianist Yasumasa Kumagai and bassist Ryu Kawamura offer up Ol’ School Jazz, a collection of beloved jazz standards played with authenticity and a love for the era with their pared-down duo format. (Aside: Following this apostrophe trail, this album’s bluesy first track may be no accidental serendipity but an intentional pick. Starting with the album title Ol’ School Jazz, the first track “Driftin’”, and that song’s origin on Herbie Hancock’s Takin’ Off, that’s three apostrophes already. Did the friendly informality of this “jazz apostrophe” as used in the day carry a similar effect — particularly for the “jazz atmosphere” of certain albums, laid back but highly skilled, casual but serious — as emojis and internet abbreviations do today? A prototype for the simple, effective, and immediate impact of quick slang like LOL, OMG, WTF? BRB…) ...

Yasumasa Kumagai’s Pray (2010) is a stylishly straight ahead affair, a cool and groovy collection of the pianist’s original tunes which melds modern jazz, soulful grooves, and gospel influences with his characteristic piano playing and original compositions. On Pray, Kumagai’s trio opens with “Brotherhood”, setting up an atmospherically moody yet light and relaxed vibe. Other album highlights include his live-show favorite “Yellow Tail”, a well-developed modern jazz exciter, and “Choir’s Got Fired”, a laid-back groove with irresistibly catchy riffs and an album highlight. The music is influenced by modern jazz players like Robert Glasper as well as hip hop concepts and includes enough dashes of unexpected changes, odd meters and beats, honest sensitivity, and spicy dissonance to keep the album in regular rotation for a great J Jazz piano trio playlist. ...