Cover of the album being discussed (from its Paris Move Web page)
As was the case in February of last year, Circum-Disc and Libra Records will release the latest album of performances by the Kaze Quartet. For those unfamiliar with this adventurous jazz combo, its members are trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and his wife, Satoko Fujii, joined by Christian Pruvost on trumpet and flugelhorn and drummer Peter Orins. The title of this new album is Shishiodoshi, and the quartet is joined by vocalist Koichi Makigami, who also performs on trumpet (in his own unique way), as well as shakuhachi. It will be released this coming Friday; and Amazon.com has already created a Web page for pre-orders.
Those familiar with Kaze may already be aware that none of the four performers are shy when it comes to taking their improvisations on a wild ride. One immediately appreciates that disposition at the very beginning of the opening track, “Make a change,” even before Makigami unleashes his voice. However, he “takes center stage” shortly thereafter; and it is not long before listeners wonder whether his performance is vocal or instrumental. Indeed, it would not surprise me if Makigami had mastered the art of vocalizing while accompanying himself on shakuhachi.
Many readers probably know that I have been following Fujii’s work for about as long as I have been maintaining my writing gig. Indeed, she was one of the first “visiting artists” at the Center for New Music; and I was fortunate enough to be there for that occasion. On the other hand, this was my first encounter with Makigami. Given the ways in which he fit in with Fujii, Tamura, and their colleagues, I would certainly be interested in listening to more of his work.
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