Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York | Summer Suite | Libra Records

I love Satoko’s strong charts and engaging harmonies for all of the reeds and brass with inspired solos from the tenor sax and trombone, but it is the strong ensemble sections that really stand out… Her great New York Orchestra has not played in New York for quite a while, we can only hope they have an opportunity to do so in the not too distant future. In the meantime, you can get this treasure and their many layers of talent. — Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery Continue reading

Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York | Eto | Libra Records

My husband, Natsuki Tamura will turn sixty years old this year. In Japan we have a special celebration for sixty years olds, called “Kanreki.” We use the Chinese zodiac in Japan which is called “Eto,” so 12 years is one cycle. 60 is a special number because it is 12 x 5 and 10 x 6. The duodecimal system and decimal system meet at 60. I wanted write some music for this, and read a bit about the Chinese zodiac. Each of the 12 animals in the zodiac has its own character and each character inspired me a lot, so I wrote a short piece for each of them to make one long suite. Each piece has featured solo player. — Satoko Fujii Continue reading

Angelo Verploegen | Misha Mengelberg | Natsuki Tamura | Satoko Fujii | Double Duo | Crossword Puzzle | Libra Records

They (Mengelberg and Verploegen) converse and dovetail with the amazingly prolific team of trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and pianist Satoko Fujii in a uniquely textured and beautifully nuanced performance recorded live at Amsterdam’s Bimhuis… At 43:31 this music would have fit on a single vinyl LP and it feels just right: long enough to be satisfying and short enough to leave you wanting more. Crossword Puzzle is a poly-portmanteu packed with creative, adventurous music. — Bill Barton, Signal To Noise Continue reading

Satoko Fujii Min-Yoh Ensemble | Watershed | Libra Records

As with all Fujii recordings, Watershed contains some very challenging and complex music, amidst quite a bit of beauty and wonder. The juxtaposition of traditional Japanese melodies and this quartet’s unusual sensibilities—even by avant- garde jazz standards—may ensure that even some of Fujii’s longtime fans are perplexed, or even confounded, by this music, yet, there’s no denying the passion and virtuosity involved. — Dave Wayne Continue reading

Junk Box | Fragment | Libra Records

It must be a daunting job to be the third wheel in a trio with the likes of Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura. Percussionist John Hollenbeck rises to it, though… Fujii’s prepared piano and Hollenbeck and Tamura’s quiet extended technique become an organic whole, sounding oddly electronic at times although the group is billed as being acoustic only… Hollenbeck, too, is an imaginative and subtle composer. He doesn’t try to stand out, at times disappearing altogether to allow Fujii’s compositions to show through. And they do. Fragment is yet another set of strong pieces well-played by the startlingly prolific pianist. ― Kurt Gottschalk, All About Jazz, New York Continue reading

Junk Box | Cloudy Then Sunny | Libra Records

When John Zorn turned 50, he got the brilliant idea of releasing a kazillion records to celebrate the occasion. Satoko Fujii has also reached that age now. Congratulations! There is nothing she needs to copy from John Zorn, except for her to release a kazillion CDs to celebrate the occasion. And as a wish, well, that her CDs get better known, but that will come with time. By 2087 for sure. You can bet on it. –Stef Continue reading

Gato Libre | Forever | Libra Records

This CD “Forever” is the fifth album released by Gato Libre and sadly, the final one by the group in its original lineup. Bassist Norikatsu Koreyasu suddely passed away in September 2011. No doubt he is out there somewhere, making a fool of himself even as he makes great music. Gato Libre started as a duo consisting of Koreyasu and me. In venues like Knuttel House in Kappabashi, Tokyo, we explored the radical combination of trumpet and bass as we attempted to make music that was unaffected, not necessarily dramatic, but plaintive and maybe a bit mysterious. Later we added guitar and accordion and began performing under the name Gato Libre. But when I fist pictured playing in a duo with a bassist, someone with a deep, compelling siund and a broad musical vision, I immediately thought of Koreyasu. — Natsuki Tamura Continue reading

Gato Libre | Kuro | Libra Records

All three Gato Libre albums covers feature a black cat, and “kuro” in Japanese means not only black, but also the blackest black imaginable, and also, according to Tamura, the name of a cat that is “the boss of stray cats.” Gentle and soothing, this closing, title tune, acts both as the bookend to the opening “Sunny Spot,” and a summation of Gato Libre’s aesthetic. Kuro fills the heart while bringing tears to the eyes. — Budd Kopman Continue reading

Christian Pruvost | Natsuki Tamura | Satoko Fujii | Peter Orins | Kaze | Rafale | Libra Records

It’s no easy task keeping track of the bands under the baton of pianist Satoko Fujii. The prolific avant-garde artist from Japan leads numerous ensembles, including four distinct big bands and multiple quartets and trios, in addition to co-leading duo outings with her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, very notably on the marvelous Chun (Libra, 2008). She seems to put together at least one new ensemble per year, and in 2011 it’s Kaze, a quartet featuring her musical soul mate Tamura, and a pair of adventurous cohorts, French drummer Peter Orins and trumpeter Christian Pruvost. Dan McClenaghan Continue reading

Natsuki Tamura | Satoko Fujii | Clouds | Libra Records

If you’re looking for toe-tapping pipe-and-slipper jazz forget about Clouds (Libra) by the Japanese husband-and-wife team of Natsuki Tamura and Satoko Fujii. This free-improv session for trumpet and piano is beautifully played and recorded, and recalls the monumental Kenny Wheeler/Paul Bley duets. Tamura has worked to develop a highly personal sound, employing various new techniques and tonal resources, including growls, flutters, squirts and split tones. On the opening atmospheric “Cirrus,” Fujii plays prepared piano and reaches inside to pluck and strum the strings. She and Tamura end up speaking a private language, a kind of musical word salad. It’s mysterious, haunting and startling, and these two know how to play the space between the notes. The 16-minute “Cumulonimbus” is spare and sensitive, with dramatic gestures, spontaneous shifts and dynamic contrasts. Some of this music has a tonal center, even if there is no real key. “Stratus” features long tones played by solo trumpet, while “Cirrocumulus” is stately solo piano. The ominous “Stratocumulus,” with its rolling thunder in the bottom register, is like a storm coming in from across the lake. — Larry Appelbaum Continue reading