Fumio Karashima: Great Time
Fumio Karashima: Great Time
Jazz of Japan #351 • Feb 15, 2026 • Brian McCrory
Jazz pianist Fumio Karashima’s 2006 album Great Time scratches the itch for a straight ahead jazz recording, bringing with it the satisfaction of the promised enjoyment conveyed by the title. Joining Karashima are Drew Gress on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums, making up a trio of well-known and highly respected musicians in the jazz world. In particular, DeJohnette, who passed away in October 2025, was a worldwide legend whose influence has been immense. Fumio Karashima was also highly visible in the Japanese jazz world, and internationally to a lesser degree (admittedly, few musicians worldwide achieved DeJohnette’s level of fame). Yet, as an undeniable force and a recognized name in the jazz community, Karashima lived a life full of jazz, performing, touring, and recording for spans of years at at time with other jazz giants including American drummers Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, not to mention an abundance of amazing Japanese musicians.
The eight songs on Great Time are brawny but clear, and they hit with an impact. From quick uptempo 4/4 swing, bluesy grooves, graceful flights, and moody suspense, the music moves and dances. Like with a lot of excellent jazz, there’s a conversation happening between Karashima, Gress, and DeJohnette, one that is filled with a simple joy, but also a deep respect for each other and the seriousness of the music they are creating.
Karashima passed away in 2017 and leaves behind a lasting memory of incredible live concerts and jazz recordings, such as this one. A Great Time indeed.
Liner Notes:
(Transcribed text of Jin Nakahara’s original English liner notes from the CD, with light editing for readability and minor correction of typos.)
Fumio Karashima released his first album in 1976, making this year (2006) the thirtieth anniversary of his debut release.
For 30 years he has remained a constant and active figure on the live scene. In the early 8o’s he was a member of Elvin Jones’ Jazz Machine and in 2003 he has taken his trio on a tour of Central South America from Cuba to Argentina, leaving his mark all over the world.
An artist with a refined and precise touch Fumio Karashima’s outstanding technique and skill, whilst evident, does not overpower the warm-blooded spontaneity of his sound. Born in Kyushu, the southernmost main island of Japan, whose men are renowned for their determination, it is perhaps no surprise that he continues unperturbed by changes in fashion to head straight along the path he has cleaved for himself. He has a stable and unfaltering base to rest on which leaves listeners free to entrust their hearts to him without fear.
Nearly two years since the release of his last album, It’s Just Beginning, recorded with Yousuke Inoue (bass) and Shingo Okudaira (drums), Fumio Karashima’s new album, Great Time marks his first collaboration with Jack De Johnette and is an album more than worthy to celebrate his 30th anniversary.
Fumio Karashima spent 6 years as a regular member of Elvin Jones’ band, after, in 1978, Elvin participated in Karashima’s leader album, Moonflower, which he recorded as a trio. In 1993, he was joined by Tony Williams in the recording of Fumio Karashima San Francisco, once again a trio album. So after recording with Elvin and Tony, this is now the third album for Karashima to collaborate with a master jazz drummer.
After distinguishing himself as a member of the Miles Davis’ group in the late 60s during the “Bitches Brew” period, Jack De Johnette has as a member of Directions, New Directions, Special Directions continued to release influential and powerful pieces, and since the passing of Elvin Jones and Tony Williams, is without a doubt the most prominent drummer alive today. And, as the albums of the bands mentioned above show, his skills are not limited to drumming, but he is also a very talented producer. Before he began drumming he played the piano and his talent is such that he has also released several albums as a pianist.
For 20 years Jack De Johnette has with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock been a member of the well-known piano trio commonly known as “Standards Trio”. He recently appeared with John Patitucci in Hank Jones’ The Great Jazz Trio — whose first drummer was in fact Tony Williams — and has already released two albums. In 2002, he recorded with Hank’s younger brother, Elvin Jones. Whilst only a coincidence, the resemblance to Fumio Karashima’s history with costarring drummers is quite remarkable.
This new album Great Time is a collaboration between Fumio Karashima and Jack De Johnette bound together by bassist Drew Gress, recommended by Jack. As well as his leader albums 7 Black Butterflies and Spin & Drift, Gress has appeared on saxophonist-turned-pianist Mark Copland’s trio album Haunted Heart & Other Ballads, and Ravi Coltrane’s new album In Flux. A musician who can move effortlessly from mainstream to avant-garde, he continues to provide a reliable framework in all his recordings.
One look at the piece selections reveals the unrivaled enthusiasm with which Karashima has approached this recording with Jack De Johnette and Drew Gress. Unlike his last and most recent solo album, It’s Just Beginning, which concentrated on standard numbers, five of the eight tracks on this new album are Karashima’s original works, and we are once again reminded of Karashima’s genius as a composer. Through his performance Karashima expresses everything that he is now, confronting Jack head-on who in his turn gives as much as he gets. According to Shinagawa, who produced the album in New York with Karashima, the session break-time ping-pong matches were equally heated.
The first track is an original song dedicated to Jack “Like Blues For J.D.” and the unison of the trio makes it hard to believe that it is their first collaboration. What strikes the listener more than anything is the harmony of the sound that the three musicians’ performance creates, most evident perhaps in the second track, Karashima’s original piece, “Quiet Moment”. One by one the notes float crystalline from the piano, and the cymbal appears to sing as it retains enormous presence at even the smallest of volumes. Supporting all this is the crisp sound of the bass reply. The three musicians blend so seamlessly together that any listener would think that they were witnessing the three primary colors of music.
“Just Enough” is a Herbie Hancock piece which, amongst others, has been performed by Herbie with Grover Washington Jr. and also as a duet with Eliane Elias. Previous versions have been performed as slow ballads but here an up-tempo performance reveals a different side of the song.
With the forth track we return to Karashima’s original works: “Those Years” is a piece with a reminiscent flavor and is followed by “Brilliant Darkness” whose thrilling performance is matched by the perfect harmony of the three artists’ sound, and next is the impressive dry lyricism of “Stillness”. Listeners are likely to find this part of the album the most absorbing.
“I Fall In Love Too Easily” is the only standard number on the album and a song which Jack performed on Keith Jarrett’s Standards Vol. 2 (1983). Finally is Chick Corea’s early work “Straight Up And Down”. With a performance so immaculately timed that you can almost hear the musicians breathing in unison, this is perfect finale for the album.
A concert performance of this dream trio is something that we hope to look forward to in the future.
December 2005 Jin Nakahara
Great Time by Fumio Karashima
- Fumio Karashima - piano
- Jack DeJohnette - drums
- Drew Gress - bass
Released in 2006 on Pit Inn Music as VACM-1277.
Japanese names: 辛島文雄 Karashima Fumio
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