Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii, along with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, run the Libra label, which for two decades has released their work in collaboration with a remarkable list of improvisers from around the world. From solos and duos to large ensemble work, their music runs the gamut from frenetic improvisation to beautifully lyrical work, with keys ensembles including Gato Libre, Satoko Fujii New York Orchestra, Natsuki Tamura Quartet, Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin, Kaze, Satoko Fujii Trio, Junk Box, and Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo.
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Tamura, Natsuki : Koki Solo (Libra -- Japan ) Price: $16.95 In Stock "Koki" translates to "rare in ancient times," referring to ones 70th birthday, a milestone that trumpeter Natsuki Tamura achieves this year, providing proof that such an age is no longer rare, nor that it has affected the tremendous creative and physical powers that Tamura applies to his playing, as heard in this inventive solo album on trumpet, piano, voice and even pots & pans! |
Tamura, Natsuki / Satoko Fujii : How Many? (Libra -- Japan ) Price: $16.95 In Stock |
Tamura, Natsuki / Satoko Fujii / Ramon Lopez: Mantle (Not Two -- Poland ) Price: $15.95 In Stock While on a tour of Japan in 2019, Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and Spanish drummer Ramon Lopez asked trumpeter Natsuki Tamura to join them, and to join in a challenge to write a new piece of music for the trio each day while on tour; this studio album selects the finest of those compositions, performed with nearly telepathic control in a mix of fire and lyrical beauty. |
Kaze: Rafale (Circum-Libra -- Japan/France ) Price: $16.95 In Stock Kaze brings together Japan's incredible improviser-composers, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and pianist Satoko Fujii, with trumpeter Christian Pruvost and drummer Peter Orins from the French improvisers collective Muzzix. |
Fujii, Satoko / Otomo Yoshihide: Perpetual Motion (Ayler Records -- France ) Price: $15.95 In Stock Expanding their instruments into sonic sculpture, this first meeting between acclaimed Japanese improvisers Satoko Fujii, performing inside and out of the piano, and electric guitarist Otomo Yoshihide, demonstrates their incredible compatibly as heard in these live recordings at Tokyo's Pit Inn, part of an annual festival organized by Fujii & trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. |
Kaze with Satoko Fujii / Natsuki Tamura / Christian Pruvost / Peter Orins & Ikue Mori: Crustal Movement (Circum-Libra -- Japan/France ) Price: $16.95 In Stock The cooperative Japanese/French quartet Kaze of pianist Satoko Fujii, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, trumpeter Christian Pruvost and drummer Peter Orins are expanded for a second time with New York electronic artist Ikue Mori, embracing pandemic restrictions by creating this album through file exchange, adding complex layers of profound interaction to the virtual improvisations. |
Fujii, Satoko: Torrent (Piano Solo) (Libra -- Japan ) Price: $16.95 In Stock The ninth solo album from pianist Satoko Fujii, the most recent in a "torrent" of solo releases over the last six years, this album a remarkable display of force and beauty in improvised playing on the keyboard and inside the piano, captured live at IYO Yume Mari Kan Bunka Hall in six improvisations of cascading notes and introspective passages; spectacular! |
Dorr, Welf Unit: Blood (Creative Sources -- Portugal ) Price: $15.95 In Stock Combining free jazz spontaneity with the urgency of funk and rock, NY-based German saxophonist and bass clarinetist Welf Dorr (Funk Monk) presents his Unit with drummer Joe Hertenstein, bassist Dmitry Ishenko and guitarist Dave Ross, in an energetic album of tunes that combine determination and passion with upbeat grooves balanced by beautiful ballad work. |
Junk & The Beast (Petr Vrba / Veronika Mayer): Trailer (Mikroton Recordings -- Russia ) Price: $13.95 In Stock Petr Vrba and Veronika Mayer use non-idiomatic improvisation to research the combination of textural materials, crossing them with vibrations of objects on the speakers, pure sound waves, feedbacks, tones coming from trumpet, accordion, electronics, and laptop, culminating in the creation of a muscular frenetic soup of tense energy fields. |
Fujii, Satoko Tokyo Trio (Fujii / Sugawa / Takemura): Jet Black (Libra -- Japan ) Price: $16.95 In Stock A trio of leaders in their own right performing pianist Satoko Fujii's demanding compositions, bassist Takashi Sugawa and drummer Ittetsu Takemura rise to the challenge in a set of six exciting works that push and pull this remarkable piano trio in unexpected directions, responding to the twists and turns of Fujii's intense and intricate directions; superlative! |
Kaze (Satoko Fujii / Natsuki Tamura / Christian Pruvost / Peter Orins): Unwritten (Circum-Libra / Libra -- Japan/France ) Price: $16.95 In Stock The Kaze quartet of trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, pianist Satoko Fujii, trumpeter & flugelhorn player Christian Pruvost and drummer Peter Orins, continues its avant-embracing and uniquely voiced project with this live performance at Lille, France, an episodic and spontaneously diverse set of three collective improvisations of intuitive, adventurous interaction. |
Fujii / Melford: Under the Water (Libra -- Japan ) Price: $16.95 Out of Stock Pianists Fujii & Melford met in Berkley to record these masterful and challenging duo works, impressionist excursions in the water inside and out of the piano. |
Fujii, Satoko / Ramon Lopez: Confluence (Libra -- Japan ) Price: $16.95 In Stock Having played in trio settings before, pianist Satoko Fujii and Spanish drummer Ramon Lopez seized the opportunity to record as a duo in the studio in NY, bringing just two Fujii compositions to guide them, they began freely improvising, creating this stunning album of elegant interaction, peaceful yet detailed, intuitively beautiful and sophisticated music. |
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Fujii, Satoko: Ninety-Nine Years
Fujii, Satoko Orchestra New York: Fukushima
Fujii, Satoko / Orchestra New York: Entity
This Is It! (Satoko Fujii / Natsuki Tamura / Takashi Itani): 1538
Fujii, Satoko Orchestra Tokyo + KAZE: Peace (Tribute To Kelly Churko)
Mahobin (Fujii / Anker / Tamura / Mori): Live at Big Apple in Kobe
Futari (Satoko Fujii / Taiko Saito): Underground
Fujii, Satoko / Otomo Yoshihide: Perpetual Motion
Fujii, Satoko / Ramon Lopez: Confluence
This Is It! (Fujii / Itani / Tamura): Mosaic
Toh-Kichi (Satoko Fujii / Tatsuya Yoshida): Baikamo
Kira Kira (Tamura / Spence / Fujii / Takemura): Bright Force
Fujii, Satoko: Piano Music
Fujii Orchestra, Satoko: South Wind
Mori, Ikue / Satoko Fujii / Natsuki Tamura: Prickly Pear Cactus
Kaze (Fujii / Tamura / Pruvost / Orins) w/ Ikue Mori: Sand Storm
Fujii, Satoko: Stone
Fujii, Satoko New Trio: Spring Storm
Fujii, Satoko New York Orchestra: Shiki
Kaze with Satoko Fujii / Natsuki Tamura / Christian Pruvost / Peter Orins & Ikue Mori: Crustal Movem