Credits:

Suzuki Isao 、 Togashi Masahiko 、 Ichikawa Hideo 、 Shiomoto Akira

Description:

BBE Music's latest edition of its J Jazz Masterclass series combines three legends of Japanese jazz with young musicians just starting their professional careers to present a masterpiece. It is a masterpiece that balances quiet ambient moments with roaring, dynamic and explosive energy. Released on the Art Union label, the quartet of jazz bass master Isao Suzuki, jazz drum icon Masahiko Togashi, keyboard virtuoso Hideo Ichikawa, and new guitarist Akira Shiomoto showcase their individual talents as an ensemble on five tracks of first-rate contemporary jazz on this album. The individual talents of the four members are demonstrated as an ensemble. Suzuki's deep, resonant, and flexible bass lines flow gracefully throughout the album, supported by Togashi's sometimes lively percussion and Ichikawa's rich textures and colors, while young Shiomoto's guitar adds melodic texture and brilliance.Opening with the song "Make Trip," Ichikawa's gentle intro is followed by Suzuki's bass leading the band, and then Togashi's drum and percussion-driven solo continues into the outro. It continues with the mournful, bluesy "Otari," with Ichikawa's piano weaving in and out of Suzuki and Togashi's rhythms. On "Mysterious," composer Suzuki makes full use of arco bass effects, while Ichikawa colors the piece with synths and electronic textures, making it somewhat experimental. Ichikawa's "Tornado" begins with a bold and raucous piano solo, followed by the group's free improvisation, culminating in Togashi's inventive drum solo that again leads the piece to its climax, before Suzuki rejoins to close it out. In "East Words" by Togashi, which closes this work, the song begins with a beautiful modulated introduction involving piano, bass, and drums, with the freshness and brightness of a morning sunrise. Ichikawa's piano and Togashi's percussion weave together to create an impressive bass sound. This album is the first reissue since the original release 36 years ago.