Natsuki Tamura’s Duo with Drummer Jim Black

Jim Black and Natsuki Tamura during the recording of one of the tracks on NatJim (photograph by Felix Wolf)

Those that have followed this site for some time are probably familiar with Japanese trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, usually for his performances with his wife, jazz pianist Satoko Fujii. However, after following Fujii’s work over the course of many years of writing, I eventually broadened my scope to take in Tamura’s albums. The latest of these is NatJim, a duo album of nine tracks of performances with drummer Jim Black. This is the first time that the two of them have made a recording in 25 years, which reaches way back before I even began to nurture thoughts about this kind of writing!

The “theme” of the album is evident from the track titles:

1. Morning City
2. Afternoon City
3. City of Dusk
4. City of Night
5. Quiet City
6. Noisy City
7. Calm City
8. Bright City
9. Bonus

For the most part, Tamura takes the lead in establishing a mood consistent with the title of each of the tracks. It is clear (at least to my listening capacities) that a fair amount of playfulness is involved; and that play often extends to give-and-take exchanges with Black. The good news is that neither player is inclined to let a track linger for too long. As a result, the attentive listener is likely to come away from an encounter with the entire album feeling that it was a journey well worth taking.

Much of that feeling reflects on the sounds themselves. Tamura’s technique explores a wide diversity of sonorities. Often, when they depart from what one usually expects from a trumpet, they are likely to bring a smile. Meanwhile, Black is a master of polyrhythms, always establishing just the right textures to serve as background to Tamura’s foreground. Neither of these players is afraid of taking deep dives into adventurous details, meaning that, over the course of playing this album several times, the attentive listener is likely to keep making new and engaging discoveries.