Daiki Yasukagawa / Hitomi Nishiyama / Maiko: The Tree of Life

Dec 13, 2025

The Tree of Life is a 2019 jazz release from bassist Daiki Yasukagawa, pianist Hitomi Nishiyama, and violinist Maiko. These are three musicians who are each leaders of their own projects in Japan with many recordings, side projects, and frequent live schedules. Bassist Yasukagawa and pianist Nishiyama have worked as a duo before and released two albums together, but this album, with Maiko on violin, is the trio’s debut as “The Tree of Life”, a band name that they will continue to use on their followup albums Mahoroba (2021) and New Hope (2022).

The music spans ten tracks over fifty minutes, mostly original compositions from the trio. It’s emotionally stimulating music where dramatic moments arise from the structure of the compositions brought to life through the many vibrating strings. In particular, the bowed notes of Maiko’s violin and Yasukagawa’s double bass are viscerally stirring and penetrating, and beautifully supported by the strings of the piano delicately percussed by felt hammers.

There are eight original songs, four from Nishiyama and two each from Yasukagawa and Maiko. These are mostly slow to medium pieces, audio paintings of romantically peaceful or melancholic scenes. Their music is adorned with various touches of classical and pop on a backdrop of jazz structures, like sturdy branches spreading out from a solidly rooted tree. Mostly patient explorations and ballads, there are also several upbeat moments with bright colors for contrast. In addition to the original music, two covers of traditional folk-hymn songs, “Shenandoah” and “What A Friend We Have in Jesus”, add soulful depth and are graceful additions to the program.