Fujii, Satoko Orchestra Nagoya

Sanrei

Label: Bakamo Country: Japan

"In a recent interview in Cadence magazine, pianist and composer Satoko Fujii briefly discusses her four ongoing big bands - New York, Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kobe. Unlike the other three big bands, Orchestra Nagoya is comprised of younger Japanese players whose musical backgrounds and listening habits include a healthy dose of rock music. The band, conducted by Fujii, features electric guitarist Yasuhiro Usui who also produced, mixed, and mastered the CD, and wrote two of its seven pieces. Unlike Orchestra New York and Orchestra Tokyo (I haven't yet heard Orchestra Kobe), Fujii does not play the piano in Orchestra Nagoya. Her husband, trumpeter Natsuke Tamura is, however, a prominent soloist on "Sanrei," which also boasts two of his quirky, imaginative compositions, 'Gokaku' and 'Sankaku.' As one might expect, the music here is brash, boldly experimental, even startling.

Sanrei is unique amongst contemporary big band recordings in that its edgy, manic, streetwise energy is more about punk rock or alternative rock than it is a reflection of pioneering 60s and 70s avant-jazz big bands such as Globe Unity or the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra. The piano-less rhythm section is adept at playing bruising, punkish rock and intricate funky fusion. But this band can also swing hard, albeit not in a traditional fashion. At times, the brass and reed section work has a joyfully sloppy, off-kilter Sun Ra sort of sound to it. After a careful listen or two, it's quite apparent that this lack of precision is completely intentional (as it was in Sun Ra's various bands). Even more iconoclastic is the band's penchant for distorted guitar and bass sounds, collective brass and reed soloing, and spontaneous eruptions of vocal sounds - yodeling, scatting, howling, groaning, screaming, and even some pseudo-operatic singing. [...]

Sanrei is a bracing, high-intensity musical journey through the imaginations of some of Japan's most exciting and interesting musicians and composers. While it represents a definitive break from the typical 'avant garde big band' sound, it is probably too dark, intense, and rock-based for fans of traditional big band jazz. However, I totally enjoyed "Sanrei" from beginning to end. Fujii and her colleagues prove once again that the creative possibilities in a jazz ensemble of any given size are limitless."-Dave Wayne, JazzReview.com