Satoko Fujii & Natsuki Tamura

Nate Dorward · March-28th-2003, 01:02 AM

Was wondering what folks' thoughts were on Natsuki Tamura & Satoko Fujii. I've heard good things about a number of their recordings, but haven't heard their work so far. Or at least till a few weeks ago, when I received a copy of Hada Hada, a new disc on their label Libra. I'm still not sure I've exactly "heard" their work.... It's pretty godawful stuff, to be frank--perhaps someone more attuned to the Japanese-noise aesthetic might get something out of it, but really it seems a turgid mess without much to be said for it. But I gather this turn to bombast is quite recent in Fujii's work (I don't know anything about her husband). Any thoughts on these players' work as a whole? (I gather from a few reviews that Clouds or Bell the Cat would be much better entry-points.) & on the merits of the more noise-oriented stuff they've been up to lately, & the motivations behind the stylistic shift?

Jason Bivins · March-28th-2003, 09:44 AM

Nate, I really enjoyed "Clouds" - which is a lovely, abstract duo recording with absolutely no meaningless bombast - and "Looking Out of the Window," a great trio date with Dresser and Black. Steve Reynolds hipped me to the latter and he probably has further trio recommendations. A couple months ago I spotted a cheap copy of "Vulcan," where Fujii and Tamura join up with the Ruins (who are a very good rock band on their own). It is, as you say about the other recording, godawful. Don't let the recent crap stop you from looking further.

Martin · March-28th-2003, 10:57 AM

I was thinking about starting a Satoko Fujii thread myself, but Nate beat me to it...

"Clouds" is very enjoyable indeed, and I second Jason's comment without reservation. As a rule, I'm opposed to notions of programmatic music, but the tracks on this one are as airy, light, gently hovering and abstract as clouds are. The choice between the duo's two releases is an easy one.

IMHO, it is not that easy to choose among the five Fujii/Dresser/Black discs available (so why not get them all?). Hold a gun against my temple, and I'll recommend "Towards, To West" and "Bell The Cat".

To my ears, the quartet releases "Vulcan" and "Miverna" do not sound godawful. In particular, I can get quite a lot out of the latter - not at least thanks to the drumming which at times really rocks.

Btw, a new (the fourth) recording by Sato Fujii's Orchestra is going to be released early in April on Enja, "The Future Of The Past", featuring a host of great NY cats like Briggan Kraus, Ellery Eskelin, Tony Malaby, Herb Robertson and Steven Bernstein.

Nate Dorward · March-28th-2003, 11:27 AM

David--really? Have heard very split opinions on that concert, which if memory serves was a duo with the drummer from the Ruins (nowadays I guess the curious can check it out direct as it's been released on Victo). Two jazz critics I know who were there walked out on it, actually, including Stuart Broomer, who's written liner notes for two of Fujii's discs & considers himself a fan. Can't say, judging from Hada Hada, that I'm exactly eager to sample any more of Fujii's work in that particular vein.

Martin · March-28th-2003, 11:43 AM

If the last piece on the disc is the last piece of the concert, then opinions are split again.

Bill Shoemaker in his review (WIRE issue 230) ain't thrilled either.

Jonathan Sutton · May-3rd-2004, 03:56 PM

I discern this interest from talking to a guy who mainly listens to what I will vaguely refer to as alternative rock, but who had just been listening to Fujii, and asked me about her, and also from listening to KTRU (Rice University radio) at the end of a drive to Houston where all that was played was alt rock -- and a Satoko Fujii track (by far the best thing they played). Can anyone offer an explanation? (It wasn't any of her stuff with Ruins' drummer, and I am not at all sure Ruins are that popular or known among the relevant crowd anyway.) Has anyone else even encountered the phenomenon? Are there other free jazz/improv musicians who have gained similar popularity among some alt rock fans? (Perhaps the Vandermark 5, perhaps the Brotzmann tentet, from what I can gather.)

Jonny Miner · May-3rd-2004, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonathan Sutton

Are there other free jazz/improv musicians who have gained similar popularity among some alt rock fans? (Perhaps the Vandermark 5, perhaps the Brotzmann tentet, from what I can gather.)

I think you can add Joe McPhee, David S. Ware, and Paul Faherty to that list, mainly due to Thurston Moore's boosterism. Also, Matt Heyner, due more to his work in the No Neck Blues Band than in Test.

Didn't Henry Threadgill enjoy a punk cachet through a fleeting association with James Chance in the early 80s?

me wag · May-4th-2004, 01:59 AM

That's an amazing story, really. I don't want to say I would die of shock but I would be very surprised if the same thing happened to me especially since I am such a big fan. My only frame of reference would be to think that it might have something to do with her quartet (with Tatsuya Yoshida) rolling through Houston on their tour of the US a couple of years ago and they are about as loud and punk-ish and not to mention cool as a jazz quartet with a trumpet and a piano gets. And as I discovered myself, in Austin, they are an incredible live band. I would be curious to know exactly what of her many groups (solo, duo, trio, quartet, orch) they were playing on KTRU.

Jonathan Sutton · May-4th-2004, 10:18 AM

I wasn't really listening too closely to the radio at the time -- I just noticed that there was something actually good on after 30 secs or so, and then it was announced as having been Fujii a few minutes later, probably with the track title alone. It was neither solo nor her orchestra, though -- I recall an acoustic bass, so it was probably her trio.

I saw her Houston concert a couple of years ago. Horrible acoustics, unfortunately -- it was very hard to hear Fujii herself over the bass and drums.

brain · May-4th-2004, 01:02 PM

I was also at the Houston show and the sound was atrocious. I'm also a DJ at KTRU as well. We have most of her stuff and she seems to be a favorite with everybody. Her CDs get a lot of airplay. A lot of her music is pretty rocking and playing with Tatsuya from Ruins definitely gives her a lot of cool points from the KTRU crowd. The music played there varies greatly with the DJ, as well. You won't always hear a bunch of indie-rock. I like the guys that will spin some mariachi, Harry Partch, horrible noise, Johnny Cash all back to back.

Bill Barton · March-11th-2007, 11:31 PM

I'm currently working on a combination review of the duo recording In Krakow in November and the Satoki Fujii Four recording When We Were There. Immersion in these two discs over the past few weeks confirms my feeling that this husband and wife team is creating some of the most adventurous and thoroughly enjoyable music at this point in time. And prolific would be an understatement! Four CDs and one DVD of four different orchestras for starters released simultaneously last year... Then the absolutely gorgeous Gato Libre release Nomad. Now these two... I've been absent from these parts for a number of months and may have missed discussions of the Orchestra NY, Orchestra Kobe, Orchestra Tokyo and Orchestra Nagoya discs. Any thoughts on Fujii and/or Tamura to share? Recommendations for earlier recordings? One of my favorites is April Shower, Fujii's duo with Mark Feldman

David Gitin · March-11th-2007, 11:41 PM

Loved 'em in Vancouver a few years back...

Bill Barton · March-11th-2007, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Gitin

Loved 'em in Vancouver a few years back...

Bright Moments, David! Yes, I recall that concert too. We met for the first time that year in Vancouver. I have a great black and white shot of Satoko Fujii at work, her fingers a blur. One good shot out of a whole roll isn't too bad an average

me wag · March-12th-2007, 11:05 PM

Bill, have you seen the latest edition of the Penguin Guide to Jazz? Up til now, Satoko Fujii has been a glaring ommission in the book but, wow, they've more than made up for it with some of the highest praise, outside of the jazz royalty, I think I've seen from Cook and Morton. Check this regarding Live in Japan 2004, the last entry in her section: "It rounds out an album and, for the moment, discography of genuine richness. If Satoko Fujii continues in this vein, even on engines half-ahead, she will be one of the major recording artists in any idiom of the coming decade". And I thought I suffered from overpraise when it comes to her!

I guess I'm one of her oldest fans since I've been buying her CDs since Indication was released and up until recently was probably one of the few completists. Of course, it helped that she sent me many of them as they came out. If you like April Shower, you might like Indication (although she's come so far since then) or maybe the more recent solo CD Sketches. You pretty much can't go wrong with the trio CDs or the orchestra (be it New York or Tokyo orchestras) but if I must, I would go for Bell The Cat and Toward, To West for the trio and The Future of the Past, Blueprint and Double Take for the orchestras. A special recommendation for Erans, the studio duet between Satoko and Tatsuya Yoshida, which has some of the most gymnastic playing I've ever heard on a piano. I agree with you about Gato Libre. Satoko is surprisingly effective on the accordian. As for Natsuki, I can't recommend the solo trumpet album Ko Ko Ko Ke enough. Some deep, deep trumpet playing here.

Avoid the appropriately named In The Tank and both CDs by the Natsuki Tamura Quartet which suffers from Tatsuya Yoshida's absurdly echo-y mastering.

I'm actually jealous of you. I haven't heard the two CDs you are reviewing yet.

Bill Barton · March-13th-2007, 10:16 PM

me wag wrote: Bill, have you seen the latest edition of the Penguin Guide to Jazz? Up til now, Satoko Fujii has been a glaring ommission in the book but, wow, they've more than made up for it with some of the highest praise, outside of the jazz royalty, I think I've seen from Cook and Morton.

No, I haven't seen the Penguin... Good to hear they're "on board." And thanks for your recs, me wag.