The Squid's Ear Magazine


Fujii, Satoko / Joe Fonda: Thread Of Light (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

The enduring and innately lyrical collaboration of Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and NY bassist Joe Fonda, first heard in 2016 with Duet, through 2019's Four with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, continues despite the constraints of a pandemic in these 10 improvisations recorded separately in Kobe and at Fonda's home, with Fonda also performing on cello & flute.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Satoko Fujii-piano

Joe Fonda-bass, cello, flute


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UPC: 5904441617030

Label: Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!)
Catalog ID: FSR 02 | 2022
Squidco Product Code: 31403

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2022
Country: Poland
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Satoko Fujii's tracks were recorded at her home in Kobe, Japan in January and February 2021.

Joe Fonda's tracks were recorded by Greg DiCrosta.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"I became acquainted to Joe Fonda's musical creativity in 1998, precisely on November 6th at a concert of the Fonda/Stevens Group at Bunker Ulmenwall in Bielefeld, Germany. Along with some friends, I was curating the club's jazz program since 1996 at that time. After the enthralling show in 1998 Joe was a frequent artist at our club as his music was immensely inspiring - full of enthusiasm and playfulness.

On November 8th 2003 there was Satoko Fujii Quartet playing a show in Bielefeld. On this evening an enduring friendship with Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura began to develop. I go to know two wonderful artists as well as human beings and - what I did not know at that time - two of the most thrilling and versatile musicians in the jazz scene.

Both Satoko and Joe, have been touring Europe separately in many different group selections over and over again. ...And while attending a duo-concert of Joe Fonda with guzheng playing musician Xu Feng Xia, I got the idea of also bringing Satoko and Joe together - at least for one musical (live) encounter. It worked out and since then they both have played together not only as a duo but in numerous projects with changing players. They also began recording together or taping live shows. Focussing on their duo output, their first duo-record "Duet" was released in 2015. Natsuki Tamura was joining on some compositions as well as on the "Mizu" album in 2017. The aptly named "Four" was released in 2019.

Now it is 2021, and The Thread of Light was recorded during the Corona-pandemic separately in their distant homes in Kobe and New York and put together for release. It is featuring fantastic music full of inspiration and optimism for a time after the pandemic. Musical pieces full of power and emotions reflecting anger, anxiety and sorrow as well as a way out of it with their inherent musical energy. One can literally sense the leaves falling quietly down the tree before they got whirled up magically. Ease and Restlessness. Sunshine, Rain and Storm take it in turns. Yes, that's the "Fallen-leaves-dance". All ends up in broad confidence. Extraordinary music for an extraordinary time."-"Wolfgang Gross, July 12th, 2021


Artist Biographies

"Born on October 9, 1958 in Tokyo, Japan, Fujii began playing piano at four and received classical training until twenty, when she turned to jazz. From 1985-87, she studied at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where her teachers included Herb Pomeroy and Bill Pierce. She returned to Japan for six years before returning to the US to study at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where her teachers included George Russell, Cecil McBee, and Paul Bley, who appeared on her debut CD Something About Water (Libra, 1996).

Since then Fujii has been an innovative bandleader and soloist, a tireless seeker of new sounds, and a prolific recording artist in ensembles ranging from duos to big bands. She has showcased her astonishing range and ability approximately 80 CDs as leader or co-leader. With each new recording or new band, she explores new aspects of her art.

Regular collaborations include her New York trio with bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Jim Black, augmented by trumpeter/husband Natsuki Tamura to form the Satoki Fujii Four; her duo with Tamura; the Satoko Fujii Quartet featuring Tatsuya Yoshida of the Japanese avant-rock duo, The Ruins; Orchestra New York, which boasts the cream of New York's contemporary avant garde improvisers, including saxophonists Ellery Eskelin and Tony Malaby, trumpeters Herb Roberton and Steven Bernstein, and trombonist Curtis Hasselbring, among others; Orchestra Tokyo, drawing on that city's best improvisers; Orchestra Nagoya; Orchestra Kobe; the co-operative trio Junk Box with Tamura and percussionist John Hollenbeck; ma-do, a quartet including Tamura on trumpet, bassist Norikatsu Koreyasu, and Akira Horikoshi; the Min-Yoh Ensemble with Tamura, trombonist Hasselbring, and accordionist Andrea Parkins; the Satoko Fujii New Trio, featuring bassist Todd Nicholson and drummer Takashi Itani― plus countless engagements and collaborations with some of the world's most important improvisers."

-Satoko Fujii Website (http://www.satokofujii.com/bio.html)
3/27/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Joe Fonda is a composer, bassist, recording artist, interdisciplinary performer, producer and educator.

An accomplished international Jazz artist, Fonda has performed with his own ensembles throughout the United States ,Canada , Europe and Asia. He has collaborated and performed with such artists as Anthony Braxton ,Archie Shepp, Ken McIntyre, Lou Donaldson, Bill and Kenny Barron, Leo Smith, Perry Robinson, Dave Douglas, Curtis Fuller, , Bill Dixon, Han Bennink, Bobby Naughton, Xu Fengia, Randy Weston, Gebhard Ullmann, Carla Bley, Carlo Zingaro, Barry Altschul, Billy Bang.

Fonda was the bassist with the renowned Anthony Braxton sextet, octet, tentet, from 1984 through 1999. Fonda also sat on the Board of Directors from 1994 to 1999, and was the President from 1997 to 1999 of the newly formed Tri-Centric Foundation. He has also performed with the 38-piece Tri-Centric orchestra under the direction of Anthony Braxton, and was the bassist for the premiere performance of Anthony Braxton's opera, Shalla Fears for the Poor, performed at the John Jay Theater in New York, New York, October 1996.

As a composer, Fonda has been the recipient of numerous grants and commissions From Meet the Composer New York and the New England Foundation on the Arts . He has released twelve recordings under his own name. (Reviews and recordings available). Fonda was also a member of The Creative Musicians Improvisors Forum directed by Leo Smith, and was the bassist with the American Tap Dance Orchestra in New York City, directed by world renowned tap dancer, Brenda Bufalino.

In 1989, Fonda performed with Fred Ho's Jazz and Peking opera in its world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. From 1982 to 1986 Fonda was the bassist and dancer with the Sonomama Dance Company. An independent producer since 1978, Fonda is the founding director of Kaleidoscope Arts an interdisciplinary performance ensemble and is the producer and musicial director for the Connecticut Composers and improvisors Festival from 2001 to 2011.

Currently Fonda has been recording and touring extensively with the Fonda-Stevens Group, Conference Call , The Fab Trio, The Nu Band and Bottoms Out , with performances at the Bim huis in Amsterdam, Holland, Prague Jazz Festival, Czech Republic, Jazz Halo Festival, Belgium, Jazz Festival Thurinsen, Weimer, Germany, Berlin Jazz Festival Berlin Germany , Jazz Im Agusto Festival Lisbon Portugal, Natt Jazz Festival Bergen Norway, The Vision Festival New York, New York, Jazz and More Festival Sibiu Romania, Bakau Jazz Festival ,Azerbijan, Tondela Jazz Festival Tondala portugal , Vancouver Jazz Festival ,Vancouver Canada, Guelph Jazz Festival ,Guelph Canada .

Two of Fonda's most recent projects are From the Source, The Off Road Quartet.

From the Source is a group that incorporates the tap dancing and poetry of Brenda Bufalino and the healing arts of Vicki Dodd, and four jazz musicians. The group has released their first CD entitled, Joe Fonda and From the Source, on Konnex Records.

The Off Road Quartet is comprised of four musicians from four different countries. Ux Fengia from Beijing China , Carlos Zingaro from Lisbon Portugal , Lucas Niggle from Zurich Switzerland and Joe Fonda New York USA. The Off Road Quartet blends the musics from all four of these musicians cultures into a unique musicial and visual experence."

-Joe Fona Website (http://joefonda.com/biography)
3/27/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Kochi 4:37

2. Fallen Leaves Dance 4:11

3. Reflection 9:02

4. Anticipating 5:46

5. My Song 3:20

6. Sekirei 2:54

7. Wind Sound 6:09

8. Winter Sunshine 2:19

9. Haru 4:31

10. Between Blue Sky And Cold Water 9:05

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Asian Improvisation & Jazz
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura's Libra Label
Duo Recordings

Search for other titles on the label:
Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!).


Recommended & Related Releases:
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