Trumpeter Yuto Komatsu released his second album Defune in 2025, introducing nine new songs performed by his quartet that includes Mikiko Nagatake on piano, Daisuke Ijichi on bass, and Makoto Rikitake on drums. This new album is a follow-up seven years in the making after his 2018 debut release Circle of Dreams, marking his journey through the pandemic years and noting what he picked up along the way. His love of music sustained him through that unpredictable period, one that was particularly hard on independent musicians, as he discusses a bit in the liner notes.

The title Defune is a rendition in English of the Japanese word 出船 (デフネ, deh-foo-neh, setting sail, departing from port), which is a perfect fit for Komatsu. In addition to music and jazz trumpet, sea fishing is also a part of the leader’s lifestyle, and several of the songs are thematically linked to his hobby. There’s the opening track “Rising Sun” where the quartet’s live and present sound immediately tunes listeners into the group’s positive energy. Similar in theme, tracks #4 “Aketara (When It Comes to Dawn)” (a deeper groove), #6 “On the Sea” (a comfortable bossa), and #7 “Lucky Fish” (a boppy swinger) dip into his same source of oceanic inspiration also shared through photos throughout the CD.

His other songs are equally fun and convey a sense of someone who could not wait to get his new music out into listener’s players. There is a round cheeriness on songs like the bouncy #7 “Lucky Fish” and #5 “Peaceful Sound”, where the trumpeter’s buoyant mood evokes the fun of Louis Armstrong’s playing. Similarly, on songs like #3 “Brulee” his joyful playing recalls trumpet personalities like Clark Terry’s humor and good nature.

Rounding out the album are the smooth-grooved #2 “Urban Night View”, the melancholic #8 “Pine Wood”, and the blisteringly fast #9 “Burst”, racing to an high-energy close.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Yuto Komatsu’s original Japanese liner notes)

Thank you for picking up this album.

It’s been seven years since my first album from 2018.

I will never forget that time, when the whole world was thrown into disarray by the coronavirus, and all of my work as a musician had stopped. But even during that time, music continued to sound out in my heart.

After a long period of isolation, there was an almost unbelievable sense that the ordinary life before Covid-19 was gradually beginning to return. I learned not to take the things we are accustomed to for granted, and that they are not always guaranteed to be considered what’s usual.

As work opportunities started to return, little by little, I began to have a strong desire to travel, to go on tour with my band, and to make a second album.

This album’s title of Defune relates to songs from the recording having to do with my hobby of fishing at sea. I came up with some titles like setting sail and leaving port (出船, 出港), but I chose to purposely use English characters for the title.

There are nine original compositions here. I aimed for a sound that is easy to understand and nice to listen to.

I really hope you enjoy this album.

Yuto Komatsu

1 Rising Sun

When I go to sea to fish, I begin to drive before dawn. When I arrive at the fishing spot, I see the rays of the rising sun. It always makes me feel excited. As with the earth, the sun’s energy is vital. This bright song was inspired by the sunrise.

2 Urban Night View

I always write songs using a keyboard, and I wrote this one thinking of the skyline of the city. In the chorus, I hope you enjoy the feel of the chord changes (how the harmonies transition) and the unison rhythm playing in the second half (all hitting the same note at the same time).

3 Brulee

During the coronavirus pandemic, I was at home with a lot of free time, so I got a little better at making coffee. One thing that goes well with coffee is crème brûlée (the dessert meaning “burnt cream” in French), which this song was inspired by. It’s a medium tempo tune, and I used a flugelhorn in the first half of the piece.

4 Aketara (明けたら)

At the time, I used to talk with my friends and say things like “When the pandemic ends, I really want to…”, yet there were days when I wondered whether it would ever really truly end. Still, even in the midst of all that, music was created. I hope you like how the dark atmosphere of this song’s theme suddenly brightens in the middle.

5 Peaceful Sound

One night, I was listening to the sounds of Louis Armstrong while happily strolling along the banks of the Sumida River with a drink in one hand. How much more peaceful would the world be if everyone could hear such wonderful music?

6 On the Sea

I wrote this song thinking of a fishing boat out at sea, on a day when the wind is strong but lulling and the boat is relatively steady. It’s so enjoyable to be fishing that the time seems to fly by, and it especially feels good when the weather is nice and the sea is calm. I used flugelhorn on this bossa nova.

7 Lucky Fish

Fishing is a serious competition between humans and fish. Once, there was a huge mackerel caught on my baited hook, and after a fierce struggle, the fish was finally brought into the boat. It was a win for the humans, or so I thought. Suddenly the fish raged and slipped from my hands, bounced once off the cooler, and returned to the sea.

In useless mode, a secret technique, to let a fish escape from the boat.

And, amazingly, a victory for the fish. Lucky Fish.

8 Pine Wood

When I returned home for a visit, I went for a walk at my old elementary school in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka. I was surprised at how the beautiful playground equipment had been so carefully maintained, as if it hadn’t changed at all, and I was filled with nostalgia. I remembered that there was a pine forest behind the schoolyard where I often played, so I went to go see it. But, the trees must have become diseased, as they had all been cut down and removed. I tried to write a song expressing my sadness for the pine trees that were gone.

9 Burst

I had thought that bursts were things that happened in the world of F1. Then, one day, I was driving on Japan National Route 6 from the Matsudo region to Tokyo when my tire burst at an uneven bridge junction. Fortunately, I wasn’t on the highway, and I managed to avoid an accident. But ever since then, I’ve tried to change my tires sooner rather than later. This song is explosively fast and ends before you know it, but I hope you enjoy the ensemble performance of the band.

Defune by Yuto Komatsu Quartet

• Yuto Komatsu - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Mikiko Nagatake - piano
• Daisuke Ijichi - bass
• Makoto Rikitake - drums

Released in 2025 on YK Offshore as 02.

Japanese names: 小松悠人 Komatsu Yuto 永武幹子 Nagatake Mikiko 伊地知大輔 Ijichi Daisuke 力武誠 Rikitake Makoto

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for Defune:

• “On the Sea” (track #6) — live performance in 2024:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Rising Sun”

Jazz of Japan #359 • Apr 5, 2026 • Brian McCrory

Related albums: Song of Flower (2011), Unity (2011), Scratch (2013), Humadope 2 (2019), Live at Knuttel House (2021), Tokyo Groovin’ High! (2021), Duo (2022), Mowna (2024)