Satoko Fujii

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

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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

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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 →

Satoko Fujii Quartet | Vulcan | Libra Records

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Pianist Satoko Fujii’s latest CD starts out with a droning chant from drummer Tatsuya Yoshida that sounds like some bizarre ancient ritual honoring the god Vulcan, after whom the CD is titled. After four minutes, though, the quartet kicks into a Spanish-like vamp that starts hammering the anvil of free jazz with wild abandon. Well, the label “free jazz” fits this quartet only in part, a better term might be “intense jazz.” Most structures are abandoned. Most listeners will find there are few obvious, clear melodies at the start. Indeed, on several cuts, it feels as if the recording started mid-jam. But that’s good, very good, since all the unbound energy allows wondrously experimental forms to emerge out of the chaos. The quartet spares us all the predictable fluffing around that usually distracts from getting right to the molten core of creative impulse. — Michael Pronko Continue reading →

Natsuki Tamura Quartet | Hada Hada | Libra Records

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Natsuki Tamura stimulates the memories of “Bitches Brew” through his cool performances. In fact, his concept of selecting sounds to draw the pictures of the new world and constructing the whole piece out of the sounds in a melting pot created by the members without knowing where they are headed has something in common with that of Miles the king. ― Yoshiyuki Kitazato, Ombasya Continue reading →

Satoko Fujii Quartet | Angelona | Libra Records

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This album is f***ing wild. Part free jazz a la Zorn, part experimental rock, Satoko’s improvisatory collection is wonderfully chaotic, percussive and dissonant. That is, when she isn’t laying down dark and delicate harmonies, like in the opening to “collage – in the night,” a composition that streams off her kinetic piano melodies and builds with flowing, Maria Schneider-esque grandeur. Whether she’s furiously smacking the piano around or gently caressing harmonies out of it, Satoko uses the full tonal and dynamic range of the instrument, and it’s an exhilarating thing to hear. Named for the ancient goddess of secrecy, Angelona indeed feels mythical, as well as raw, transcendent, and wonderful. ― Michael Gallant, Keyboard Magazine Continue reading →

Koh | Satoko Fujii | Ted Reichmann | Yamabuki | Libra Records

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Koh is a charming singer and here she collaborates with Satoko Fujii on piano and Ted Reichman on accordion. On the opening piece, “Sola”, Satoko plays mostly inside the piano with some objects as Koh stretches out her notes pure and clear. Satoko’s piano is rich, melodic and quite haunting. Koh is singing in Japanese and it sounds as if she is singing a touching ballad. Satoko’s lovely piano and Ted Reichman’s eerie, yet melancholy accordion both surround and support Koh’s precious voice just right. The songs seem to come from an older tradition with their quaint, Broadway-like melodies. Koh reminds me at times of Laura Nyro, perhaps a bit more quirky. Since I don’t know what she is singing about, the feelings and emotions in her voice do still come through. What I find most amazing is that this disc brings out something quite different from Satoko Fujii than we’ve ever heard, her playing is just so warm, exquisite, rich and touching it is hard to believe that she also spars with master drummer Tatsuya Yoshida. — Downtown Music Gallery Continue reading →

First Meeting | Cut The Rope | Libra Records

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In many improvised music sessions or bands, playing a diatonic scale can get you some evil looks. First Meeting, however, is completely free in that respect. The range of volume and expression is also as broad as we can make it. If you want to see for yourself, come to one of our gigs. And bring 15 or 20 friends, please. — Natsuki Tamura (Translation by Alan Gleason) Continue reading →