[acid-jazz] Profiles - Shibuya Takeshi Orchestra, Hayashi Eiichi, Fukumura Hiroshi, Mukai Shigeharu, Ochi Junko, Takahashi Tomoko, Yoshiko Toshiko

From: Wesley (wesleyc_at_cox.net)
Date: 2003-06-18 06:11:10

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    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