From: Wesley (wesleyc_at_cox.net)
Date: 2003-06-18 06:11:10
Profiles - Shibuya Takeshi Orchestra, Hayashi Eiichi, Fukumura Hiroshi,
Mukai Shigeharu, Ochi Junko, Takahashi Tomoko, Yoshiko Toshiko
some more brief profiles of straight ahead jazz acts from TokyoQ--and
their upcoming gig dates.
-Wesley
-- source: TokyoQ Takeshi Shibuya Orchestra June 15 Rollicking, wild, disruptively energetic, this big band plays music that draws the cream from punk drumming, funkified bass, sinuous ECM guitar lines, and every big band front line from Stan Kenton to the Art Ensemble of Chicago -- all at once. Their gigs at Aketa no Mise open them up to stomp and frolic through slyly intricate pieces, alternating between frantic, then smooth, then faster frantic and way more laid back smooth. They're not into boundaries and with a new CD slated for release soon, they'll be especially cranked up. This orchestra is about as complex as post-modern jazz gets, you follow one thread and get distracted by another in the other direction. The guitarist plays a Dixieland clarinet counterpoint on top of two saxes ungumming their holes over a hard-edged rock beat with a thick bass sitting in and sitting out in completely unanticipated patterns. Shibuya cranks up the volume with a nasty synthesizer riff then lays back with an elegant piano solo. Whether you like a little dissonance spicing up your jazz or not, the Shibuya Takeshi Orchestra is one of the most intriguing and uncompromising bands around. Aketa no Mise is also homeground for their neural pathways to divulge their exceptional sonic-jazz-funk-punk secrets. Hiroshi Fukumura Quintet June 18 Hiroshi Fukumura tries desperately to root his music in the blues, but his own sensibilities and the power of the musicians in his group simply burst the seams of all musical styles to create potent, vibrant jazz. Their enthusiastic pursuit of any and all interesting ideas, combined with a wild synergy, leads them in intriguing, energetic directions. Fukumura on trombone and Nao Takeuchi on sax lay down loose, gutsy leads that have a life of their own. Dairiki Hara uses his drums as a complex tool to shatter the normal conceptions of rhythmic support. He works at a tension that forces the other players to improvise constantly just to keep up with the flow of his ideas. Fumio Itabashi, who has led his own wide-open style of jazz for many years, plays with exciting, furious runs that explode through every tune. Nobuyoshi Ino is the calming force in the group, pegging down deep bass lines to allow the others greater room. Fukumura's own compositions, despite their bland titles such as "H1" or "F1," are intriguing patterns that they all obviously relish working over. The group also digs into meaty standards, keeping spontaneity as the guiding principle and catharsis as the constant goal. Shigeharu Mukai June 20 Shigeharu Mukai is a 30-year veteran leader, arranger, composer and trombonist, but his recent release, "Super 4 Brass," sported a septet that was a high point of creativity, energy and accomplished performance. Mukai has a restless spirit, in the best sense of the word, never slipping into a consistent pattern or keeping the same groove for long. For this show, he'll be taking on bossa nova. How his trombone takes on the smooth, sultry waves of Brazilian gracefulness will be especially interesting. Mukai is a master of the trombone, making the instrument into the slippery, flexible instrument it was designed to be. His flow of ideas is lithe, lean and polished to precision, whether from within his favored hard bop format, or from the spaciousness of modals, or the lyricism of plain old, lovely phrases. His groups always gleam with polish, delivering straight-ahead, full-tilt jazz that offers the occasional ballad as a token of pure devotion to the gods of jazz. As a leader, he always brings in top-flight sidemen, and sets the tone and level high to get them going. Mukai just has an abundance of rare, envy-inducing cool and fun-loving energy. Junko Ochi June 24 Junko Ochi packs a wallop. Her singing on standards and well-chosen pop-turned-jazz tunes are ripe with juicy innuendo and soulfulness. She's a powerful singer, and also superbly in control, a rare quality in too many singers who drift along without taking charge. She's clearly an entertainer, but knows that what's important is quality. She rolls out room-filling blues that get the club shaking, but knows right when to offer a beautiful ballad to cool the place down with delicate tenderness. Her personality is part of the fun, and she keeps up hilarious between-song patter. The band always gives her their full attention, and she takes her pick from Tokyo's many top-notch jazz players. She has a new CD out and recently has been singing from it along with old favorites. Her arrangements are especially accomplished, with a polish and clarity of purpose that really hits home. Ochi makes it a personal evening with a very warm, human and highly soul-satisfying set of jazz vocals. Tomoki Takahashi June 26 Tomoki Takahashi has one of the most unusual sax styles in Tokyo. He plays powerfully, so much so that his notes seem to burst over the edges of where they should be. And that's good! The effect is bursts of energy with every note, and the feeling that everything has been fully pumped up, that is, well considered before being delivered. His solos take interesting, unexpected directions that confuse at first, only to reveal their inherent order afterwards. Quite a trick for even the best improvisers, but Takahashi has it down. Takahashi sticks to standards and bop tunes, and is proud of it. He has worked hard to get a sharp, direct approach to his sax playing and to strip away all the sweet pretence that so often gets in the way of other players. The quartet he's formed is tight and focused. Takahashi definitely puts the "no bullshit" rule above everything else. Yoshiko Kishino June 28 Yoshiko Kishino puts together some of the most engagingly beautiful piano trio jazz in the city. She has an elegant, understated approach that allows the inherent kernels of beauty inside the standards she has mastered to germinate and flourish magnificently. Some performers just have this ability to create a warm, intimate immediacy to their playing, and Kishino does this in every note. She goes right to the organic center of tunes by Cole Porter, Tom Jobim, Bill Evans and Lennon-McCartney, and delivers them like a hand-brushed, washi letter of tenderness and thanks. Her CD of two years ago "You Are So Beautiful" gives me chills. She has also recorded Brazilian tunes and a wide variety of standards. In concert, she has a lively, open style that works closely with her band. Whether giving them space, or working with the space they create, she has not only the technique, but the personality and power to keep the evening flowing, elegant and engaging. Eiichi Hayashi June 28 "Playing free is where humanity starts," Eiichi Hayashi told me one evening, and no better statement of his approach could be made. Exuberant powerhouse extraordinaire, Hayashi wields his sax like a buzzsaw to cut through all musical pretence. His energetic, wall-of-sound technique is alarming and disturbing at times, humorous and clever at others, but always potent, present and engaged. His strong style may not appeal to lovers of smoother jazz, but that's exactly the point. Hayashi has released many intriguing CDs, including the fascinating "Mazuru's Dream." He plays with many cutting-edge groups around town, knocking it about in alternative music spaces as often as jazz clubs. Even if you like your jazz on ice mixed with water, the constant flow of ideas and his inventive directions are one of the most unique voices on the Tokyo scene. http://club.nokia.co.jp/tokyoq/index-jazz.html -- The Eclectic Sounds of Japan [Sound :: Lounge] http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoundLounge