SATOKO FUJII ORCHESTRA
Double Take
East Works
ewcd0019 / 20

Pianist / composer Satoko Fujii's latest recording is a sprawling, yet tightly conceived, opus for two large (16 or 17 piece) ensembles that crosses cultural boundaries as easily and as beautifully as it crosses stylistic genres. With the exception of Fujii herself, and trumpeter (and husband) Natsuki Tamura, both ensembles have completely different personnel. This is because one is based in Japan, the other in New York City. Both groups are composed of young, relatively unknown artists. Even so, those of us who follow new jazz will recognize more than a few names in the Orchestra West, which is mainly populated by Fujii's contemporaries from the New England Conservatory. Orchestra East features four of the six musicians from Fujii's fine Past Life recording reviewed at this site a few months back, otherwise all of these names are new to me. Both Orchestras have identical instrumentation, though a turntablist (DJ Firehorse) is added to Orchestra West. The music here is big: not just in terms of dimension and ambition, but also in terms of its stylistic sweep and dynamic, brash sound.

Interestingly, Fujii chose to include 2 complete versions of her 4-part "Ruin" suite on this 2-disc set. If you're like me, you will find that pondering the differences and similarities between the Orchestra East and Orchestra West in the context of "Ruin" well worth the price of the CD. In general, the Japanese musicians seem to develop their improvisation with a more passionate, late-60s derived abstract expressionist approach compared to the US-based ensemble. The use of toys as sound-making devices (as well as the voices in "Okesa - Yansado") by the Japanese group is humorous to say the least. The role filled by the toys in Orchestra East is assumed (with somewhat less charm) in Orchestra West by DJ Firehorse. It also seems to me that the US-based ensemble is a bit more open rhythmically. While both drummers turn in masterful performances (Yasuhiro Yoshigaki's dual trumpet-drumkit solo on "Ruin 2 - The South Pole" is a real stunner), Aaron Alexander's playing is particularly multifarious. He pounds away like John Bonham in "Ruin 1," then skitters around like Paul Lytton en fuego on "Ruin 4 - The Megalopolis." One of Fujii's mentors at NEC was George Russell, and his influence is all over this piece: particularly in her use of asymmetric ostinati and rhythmically displaced melodic lines of "Ruin 1 - The Desert," and in her use of stratospheric trumpet fanfares in "Ruin 4." Though not as resolutely avant-garde as, say, Alexander von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity Orchestra, some of the group improvisations on "Double Take" employ a similar esthetic, though Fujii likes to break the orchestra up into smaller sub-groupings for these free episodes.

As if "Ruin" weren't enough, the rest of the CD sparkles with invention and creative vigor. Soloists too numerous to mention in both orchestras provide numerous high points throughout. I was especially charmed by the goofy klezmer-like rhythms applied to the Breuker-like "South Wind," the carefree clarinet trio (plus drums) excursion, "Jog Wheel," the intelligent avant funk of Tamura's "And Then - Sorekara," and the tartly-voiced, orchestral-flavored "Sola - Sky." Fujii finds a little room for her own unique work on the piano keys (and strings), perhaps too little for some. If anything, Tamura seems to be the featured soloist on both CDs, and that's fine because his playing is absolutely first-rate throughout. Anyone who appreciates inspired, impassioned improvising, and fascinating jazz-based compositions for a large ensemble, will not go wrong with Satoko Fujii's daring Double Take.

Dave Wayne

Track Listing: CD1 - 1. South Wind; 2. Ruin 1 - The Desert; 3. Ruin 2 - The South Pole; 4. Ruin 3 - The Outer Space; 5. Ruin 4 - The Megalopolis; 6. Okesa-Yansado; 7. Sola-Sky, CD2 - 1. Ruin 1 - The Desert; 2. Ruin 2 - The South Pole; 3. Ruin 3 - The Outer Space; 4. Ruin 4 - The Megalopolis; 5. Jog Wheel; 6. Tobifudo; 7. Exile; 8. And Then - Sorekara

Personnel: CD1 (Satoko Fujii Orchestra East) - Sachi Hayasaka, soprano sax, alto sax, bamboo flute, percussion, voice; Kunihiro Izumi, alto sax, toys, voice; Hiroaki Katayama, tenor sax, voice; Kenichi Matsumoto, tenor sax, shakuhachi, hose, voice; Ryuichi Yoshida, baritone sax, flute, toys, voice; Natsuki Tamura, trumpet, toys; Tsuneo Takeda, trumpet, voice; Yoshihito Fukumoto, trumpet, electric trumpet, toys, voice; Takeo Watanabe, trumpet, percussion, voice; Haguregumo Nagamatsu, trombone, voice; Tetsuya Higashi, trombone, voice; Gakutaro Miyauchi, trombone, voice; Satoko Fujii, piano; Toshiki Nagata, acoustic bass, electric bass; Yasuhiro Yoshigaki, drums, trumpet (track 3 only)

Personnel: CD2 (Satoko Fujii Orchestra West) - Oscar Noriega, alto sax, bass clarinet; Briggan Krauss, alto sax, clarinet; Chris Speed, tenor sax, clarinet; Tony Malaby, tenor sax; Andy Laster, baritone sax; Natsuki Tamura, trumpet; Dave Ballou, trumpet; Steven Bernstein, trumpet; Cuong Vu, trumpet; Curtis Hasselbring, trombone; Joey Sellers, trombone; Joe Fiedler, trombone; Satoko Fujii, piano; Stomu Takeishi, electric bass; Aaron Alexander, drums; DJ Firehorse, turntable