LIVE Concert Dates >> Recommended: Atsushi Ikeda, Mullhouse, Takeuchi
Ruth, more...
Atsushi Ikeda
January 26 Saturday
This sincere, accomplished quartet is as straight ahead as jazz
gets. Ikeda's technique on alto sax rolls out effortlessly by covering
the tracks of his accomplished sophistication with warmth and feeling.
The chops are all there underneath, though, to be sure. He approaches
standards with a respect and dedication to the craft of jazz performance
that remains unrelenting in its attention to detail. He never begins or
ends a song without adding a few extras that highlight the melodic
essence of the song and pull out hidden nuances. His improvisations stay
within the sphere of the lyrical, but that's a very good place to be,
and a very grand and expansive place as well. The way he approaches
ballads and bebop reveals the wealth of unmined ore in standards to jazz
aficionados and lovers of good music alike. Especially interesting is
the interplay between Ikeda and longtime companion Yutaka Shiina on
piano. Shiina has his own excellent CDs and leads his own trios. Their
long-term interaction is clearly evident in their handling of standards.
The intimate space of GH9 resonates especially well with this level of
sophisticated bop-oriented jazz.
(G.H. 9: UNO Biru 9F, 4-4-6 Ueno, Taito-ku, 03.3837.2525. 3,000 yen from
7:30. Okachimachi or Ueno station)
Mull House
January 27 Sunday
Mull House has an inventive, quirky approach to jazz. The title
of their second album, "Funny phenomenon in my Brain" offers a partial
explanation why, but the other part stems from a unique view of the
plastic potential of the music. They pummel melody lines with
off-then-on harmonies and stop-and-start rhythms that disturb until a
smooth entry is found. Once it is, though, their music is compelling.
They usually start out with a fusion-like statement of the melody, but
then cut into funky bass-heavy sections, speedy guitar riffs, and flying
trombone and sax explorations. The electric guitar, bass, drums,
trombone and sax line-up is so together, it is hard to single out any
one of them for special mention. They have a synergy that makes their
swinging from one very different section to the next a fascinating
transition, so that "Man, WHERE are they going next?" becomes the
question. They have plenty of unpredictable answers which they deliver
with irony, talent and a huge amount of energy.
(Shinjuku Pit Inn: Accord Shinjuku Biru B1, 2-12-4 Shinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku, 03.3354.2024. 3,000 yen from 7:30. Shinjuku-3-chome
station)
Ruth Takeuchi
January 28 Monday
You'll fall in love with Ruth Takeuchi. It's not just the potency of her
voice, her obvious delight in performing, her great bandmates and the
ease and comfort of the music, it's some other indefinable quality that
goes way beyond mere showpersonship. Call it charisma or presence,
maybe. Really it's a kind of inner joy. Takeuchi's singing on great
blues-jazz-pop tunes in both flawless English and Japanese reveals the
inner core of the tunes in a dynamic style. She moves comfortably from
vocalese on the jazzy "Afro-Blue" to her own originals in Japanese. She
has the range and control to take on difficult jazz tunes, but it's with
the blues that her emotional power really kicks in. She always backs
herself with great musicians, and this evening is no exception.
(Blues Alley: Meguro Station Hotel B1F, 1-3-14 Meguro, Meguro-ku,
03.5496.4281. 3,500 yen from 7:30. Meguro Station)
Tada Seiji and The Most
January 29
Tada Seiji is one of the best sax players in town. He has worked with
many groups over the years, but The Most seems to be his personal
favorite. With a CD, "much, more, the MOST," out last year, his trio has
their stripped-down sound worked out to interactive perfection. Masahiko
Osaka on drums plays rhythms that sound effortless, but are extremely
complex. Osaka's CDs, many recorded with New York jazz players, are
excellent modern jazz. Tada can rip through finger-twisting bebop at
shinkansen speeds, but has the sensitivity to pull plenty of feeling out
of ballads. Because of that versatility, and his well-honed technique,
he is one of the most popular players in town, sitting in virtually
every night with one group or another. Osaka has a similar pedigree, so
at last they have joined forces for consistent interaction. For this
gig, pianist Akira Ishii will be joining the trio. Ishii has his own CD
out this year, "Voices in the Night," a superb piano trio of elegant,
quiet, evening music. This quartet is a focused, intense group.
(Sometime: Ishikawa Biru B1, 1-11-31 Kichijoji Honcho, Musashino-shi,
0422.21.6336. 1,500 yen from 7. Kichijoji Station)
Big Band Festival
January 30 to February 9
Someday jazz club's master, Mori-san, has this thing for big bands. He's
had it long before the recent resurgence in interest in larger ensembles
in New York and Europe. His obsession will be wonderfully realized over
ten nights of big bands. Someday's move to its new location last year
was in part to create a larger stage. The result, with an improved,
specialized sound system, is the optimum setting to hear big bands. The
bands will range from Latin to straight-ahead to contemporary to
traditional to free jazz, and a steel-pan band for good measure. All of
these bands play often around town, but lining up in this way each night
is a special treat. You'll have to go more than one night to get the
full contrastive effect, of course. This is a rare chance to hear the
best big bands in the city. Check out Someday's homepage at
http://someday.net/ for complete information. The entrance fee is 3,000
most nights, but varies a little up or down depending on the size of the
orchestra.
(Someday: Tenjincho 8, Shinjuku-ku, 03.5261.2518. 3,000 yen from 7:30.
Kagurazaka Station)
[Sound * Lounge] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoundLounge
from TokyoQ
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Jan 25 2002 - 09:59:44 CET