Alto saxophonist Ayumi Koketsu released a sophisticated tribute to Art Pepper on her album Art from 2016. With slick bop lines and a fresh spirit, Koketsu and her bandmates deliver the goods sincerely, kicking things off at high tempos with “Cool Bunny” and “Straight Life” before moving into other moods of mid-tempo bop and ballads. Koketsu is a prolific artist who releases high-quality albums and often uses overseas musicians for her backup band. This album will satisfy fans of straight-ahead jazz quartets with a bright and exciting saxophone prodigy taking center stage.

Art by Ayumi Koketsu

• Ayumi Koketsu - alto sax
• Jeremy Manasia - piano
• Mike Karn - bass
• Mark Taylor - drums

Released in 2016 on Pony Canyon as MYCJ-30653.

Japanese names: 纐纈歩美 Koketsu Ayumi

Audio and Video

• The track “Cool Bunny” from this release:

• The track “Imagination” from this release:

• The track “Patricia” from this release:

• Excerpt from track #1: “クール・バニー (Cool Bunny)”

Jazz of Japan #3 • Jan 30, 2018 • Brian McCrory

Related albums: Rainbow Tales (2012)