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 →