Four accomplished musicians reunite for Needful Things, a live recording of original compositions, bewitching music with a touching beauty.

Starting with a slow build-up of sounds and chant-like effects, the songs develop deeply, breathing traces of folk, pop, and contemporary jazz into melancholy themes. Without drums or percussion, the quartet is able to create a slightly floating feeling, while the players’ steady pulse keeps the time anchored, subtle yet solidly unwavering.

The players evoke a calm confidence together, creating music that grooves with tension and release, mixing solemnity with hopefulness, freedom with structure… a distinctively lovely product from these dedicated musicians.

Recorded live at Jalan Jalan in Wakayama, Japan on November 22-23, 2008.

Needful Things by Ryosuke Hashizume

• Ryosuke Hashizume - tenor saxophone, clarinet, effects, voice
• Takumi Seino - electric, acoustic guitars
• Masako Hamamura - piano
• Yasutaka Yorozu - bass

Released in 2009 on Grapes Records as GPS-1206.

Japanese names: 橋爪亮督 Hashizume Ryosuke 清野拓巳 Seino Takumi 浜村昌子 Hamamura Masako 萬恭隆 Yorozu Yasutaka

Audio and Video

• Excerpt from track #1: “Stone Pavement”

Jazz of Japan #22 • Feb 23, 2018 • Brian McCrory