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Satoko Fujii Quartet: Live At Jazz Room Cortez
ByAs she frequently is, Fujii is paired with her husband, the trumpeter Natsuki Tamura who collaborates with her in the New York, Berlin and Tokyo Orchestras, the quartet Kaze, Gato Libre and duo recordings. Violinist Keisuke Ohta has worked in pop and rock formations, soundtracks, and on one of the earliest jazz tributes to Louis Thomas Hardinaka MoondogTrees Against (Shi-Ra-Nui, 1998). The unusually staffed quartet is rounded out with percussionist Takashi Itani, part of the Fujii's New Trio and her Tobira quartet.
It is from Fujii's New Trio that "Convection" originates. The version on their sole release Spring Storm (Libra, 2013) is considerably shorter that the eighteen-plus minute rendition here. The episodic treatment is steeped in abstractions, the clattering, squeaking, and moaning effects branching out and somehow congealing into a fragmented melody that brings all the players together. "Looking Out the Window," from the 1997 album of the same name, opens with its share of unconventional sounds along with voices and regional influences. At more than one half-hour in length, it provides space for a full round of solos and the long closing sequence showcases Fujii's beautifully expressive piano.
There's a sense that freedom and lyricism are always elbowing for room on Fujii's page; how she controls those instincts is a large component in her ability to craft enormously thought-provoking music. Fujii's music isby turnsprimitive, exhilarating, and sensitive, but not in a quixotic manner. It is within her well-managed eccentricities that Fujii challenges the listener with inventiveness meant for open ears.
Track Listing
Convection; Looking Out the Window.
Personnel
Satoko Fujii
pianoSatoko Fujii: piano; Natsuki Tamura: trumpet, voice; Keisuke Ohta: violin, voice; Takashi Itani: drums, percussion.
Album information
Title: Live At Jazz Room Cortez | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Cortez Sound