From first track, Omura’s “Sheep Wash”, you can immediately sense the great balance of dynamic energy and relaxed sweetness. The song’s bright swing and memorable melody initially seems simple but contains the subtle complexity of unexpected turns and rhythmic shifts. These qualities are found in all the superb writing and playing from Omura and Mooney, and the songs end up being finely crafted realizations of straight singable melodies that also act as reference ground for solo improvisations. While Omura plays drums on this first track, his devoted study to Indian tabla and music seem to be ingrained in his musical thinking as well, more so when he plays tabla and picks titles from Sanskrit words and concepts. (A different version of Omura’s “Sheep Wash” can be heard on Fe: Live at Virtuoso.)

While co-leaders Mooney and Omura showcase guitar and drums respectively and write all the music, solos from the other musicians on sax, piano, and bass are also highlighted. The sound and playing of these members’ improvised solos are rounded more than acute, pervading more than intruding, and elevate the entire group to a higher level. Mooney’s electric guitar sound in particular is pure warmth and glows with the clear sound of strings and wood as he channels his introspective ideas fluidly with an easy confidence through his fingers.

On track #2, Mooney’s “Wormcast” thickly threads an earworm melody through a modified blues, crawling up and down a repeated riff of mellow hopscotching harmony chords.

“The Word” (track #3) is also one of Mooney’s, where sliding guitar arpeggios and chords providing another back-and-forth harmonic backdrop for curious melodies to unfold and stimulate with a tinge of blues and groove.

Omura’s “Purusha” (#4) is next, a front-pushing astral journey, suspended with brief drum pauses transformed to a steadiness to keep attention pinned, looking to the adventure ahead as the melody searches for and leads the way forward over the cliffhanging music.

Track #5 is “Groove for Clyde” from Mooney, where John Ellis’ heavy bass clarinet riff locks down a deep groove to steady the polyrhythmic cycles, all producing the effect of a floating-yet-grounded contradiction for heightened interest.

#6 is “K.I. (Kaida Inspired)” from Omura, and it starts with an abstract chain, a single note pattern that quickly turns into a rhythmically intricate lattice of melody, drums, engaging chords, and wide-spanning solos.

This is another great example of how Mooney and Omura’s complex rhythms and repeated riffs are alive with interesting structures that are fine-tuned to gently challenge listeners without confusing them. In their music, crafted rhythms inhabit a large part of the musical structure and increase the creativity of each improvisers’ ad-libbed solos.

Track #7 is Omura’s “Ektaal”, where a repeated riff and tabla drums are surrounded by shakers, and delicate notes from the bass clarinet, piano, bass, and guitar. Ambient touches develop slowly as tabla becomes brushed drums, and the solos fade into and out of a lush background texture.

“Lord is Master” (#8) is from Mooney, where a deep hook of a bass clarinet riff and solid drum playing balance a difficult rhythmic construction for the most down-and-groovy style on the album.

Tabla returns on #9 “Dattatreya” from Omura, where open ambiance and free jamming gel into a intricate puzzle-box of an arranged-but-flexible medium tempo composition. This is perhaps the most striking take on the album, like a signal originating from the universe of Wayne Shorter.

The final track is Mooney’s “Maybe” (#10), a softly swaying tune with rich harmonies played in a comfortable bossa nova style with excellent improv spotlights, light brushes, and dashing drums for a lingering pleasant memory.

Liner Notes

(Excerpt of Davy Mooney’s words from the CD liner notes.)

This is the second project Ko and I have done together, a sort of sequel to 2018’s Benign Strangers. The pandemic put a monkey-wrench into our collaboration for a few years there, and I’m glad we’re back with The Word. Most of the five tunes of mine that we recorded are new; “Groove for Clyde” goes back a few years though, and is a tribute to the late Clyde Kerr, Jr., the man who led me into this jazz musician’s life, back in New Orleans. I wrote the opening riff of “The Word” noodling around during a wedding ceremony (I had to play very quietly). “Maybe” reflects my Brazilian influence, and my desire to write at least one Chico Buarque song. “Lord and Master” and “Wormcast” are fun with triplet subdivisions. 🪶 I really enjoy the juxtapositions of my tunes with Ko’s on this project. His are more positive and open, in contrast to my meticulous darkness. 🪶 Here’s to many more collaborations. This is the latest word, but it won’t be the last! — Davy Mooney

More album notes and song explanations for The Word are available on Mooney’s Bandcamp page for this album.

Audio and Video

• “Sheep Wash” (track #1):

• Album page with audio and detailed description (Bandcamp)

• Full album playlist (YouTube)

• Excerpt from track #5: “Groove for Clyde”

Printed on the cover of this album is the subtitle Plays Standards. It’s not unusual to see jazz album titles or groups that include the word standards — see Keith Jarrett’s great standards trio and set of albums — and it’s a smooth way to introduce the concept for the collection. As a result, fans of jazz piano trio albums will find familiar material in this latest album from the Takako Yamada Trio. Naturally, these song choices have been heard on other jazz albums in recorded history.

In particular with this tracklist, four of the selections are songs that the legendary pianist Bill Evans was known for and recorded famous versions of. Track #1 “I Should Care” (on Evans’ How My Heart Sings, Bill Evans at Town Hall, other live albums), track #2 “How Deep is the Ocean” (Evans’ Explorations, Jazzhouse, live albums), track #3 “Yesterdays” (Live at Ronnie Scott’s), and track #6 “All of You” (Sunday at the Village Vanguard, and many others). In fact, all four of these jazz standards could be said to be frequent picks of Evans and appear on his most popular trio and live albums.

Of course, being standards, other famous jazz pianists have covered these songs. These are tunes that can be often heard today in jazz student classrooms and community jam sessions. Yet, the fact that four of the six standards were also favorites of pianist Bill Evans gives a good indication as to the influences and style that Yamada’s trio is playing at The Moment.

It’s not just songs associated with the jazz piano of Bill Evans on this album, though. Track #4 is “When Summer Comes” by grandmaster pianist Oscar Peterson, a pretty ballad inserted mid-set for a relaxing daydreaming delight. Following that, track #5 is bassist Charlie Haden’s signature tune “Waltz for Ruth”, a highlight of Haden’s duet with guitarist Pat Metheny, and its lightly descending melody and drifting quality lend itself nicely to Takako Yamada Trio’s graceful style.

The last song is one of Yamada’s original compositions, played as an encore for the live set. The open chords and patient melody traverse the shifting major and minor harmonies as drummer Ko Omura taps out soul-deep rhythms on tabla drums, and the album’s final three minutes wind down in a vamp, fading away from these live moments.

As for the long-lasting power and admiration of jazz standards, pianist/writer Ethan Iverson’s recent article on standards (and today’s part 3), explains the term and provides many examples of how jazz musicians throughout history absorbed and transformed the original music and transformed the templates. His invaluable analysis includes four of the songs on this album: How the original sheet music for “I Should Care” landed with Thelonious Monk. The impact of “How Deep is the Ocean” on Bill Evans (and vice versa) and Chick Corea. The reinvention of “Yesterdays” by Art Tatum and John Scofield. How “All of You” touched Ahmad Jamal, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Scott LaFaro, Wynton Kelly, and Herbie Hancock. Like all masterful jazz musicians, they left their individual stamps on the standards, using the medium of the compositions as launchpads for their explorations.

Obi Notes

Live at The Moment

A special album recorded with an audience who was invited to wear headphones and compare the high-quality recorded audio with the live sound.

Takako Yamada Trio

Audio and Video

• Audio for “I Should Care” (track #1):

• Audio for “How Deep Is the Ocean” (track #2):

• Audio for “All of You” (track #6):

• Full playlist for this album

• Excerpt from track #7: “Hill Road-坂道- (Hill Road-Sakamichi-)”

This album was recorded at Virtuoso on the night of October 1, 2020. Fe is made up of guitarist Yuta Ikedo on guitar, Ko Omura on drums, Keisuke Furuki on bass, and Shinobu Ishizaki on saxophone. Guitarist Ikedo and drummer Omura are co-leaders of this group and also two-thirds of a different trio called “Atman”. These two musicians have a long history of playing together with a friendly and close relationship that can be summed up by the quartet’s name, “Fe”, which originated from a humorous accident. As Ikedo was typing up some information about the group, the intended “ds” (for drums) became “fe” due to quick fingers and an incorrect alignment on the keyboard. The typo amused the group and stuck as the trio’s name. Omura’s liner notes also playful improvise on “f” and “e”:

Fundamental elements are forever evolving, foreseeing equal fractals extracted from each feasible experience.

Furthermore, eloquence is finite, enveloping filtered eons fabricated eternally or forever.

Finding existence fatigues energy, feeling exhalation for ectstastic flow.

For each face, ephemeral factors exists, forever engaging fond experiences.

The songs on Live at Asakusa are original compositions by co-leaders Ikedo and Omura, with Ikedo contributing five songs and Omura two. Along with their individual solos, Fe’s music also features guitar and sax pairing up on some melody lines. It’s a doubled jazz sound that works so well in a live setting with the attention-grabbing duality of the sharp blade of Ishizaki’s sax and the warm glow of Ikedo’s guitar. Some of the improvisational highlights also feature Ikedo and saxophonist Ishizaki trading ideas and solos back and forth in ad-libbed, engaging conversations.

#1 “Invisible Essence” (Ikedo) is energetic and bright (the audio for this track is available in the live recorded video included below). #2 “Flow of the Circumference” (Ikedo) leans towards a lush fusion sound through an adventurous circuit. #3 “Sheepwash” (Omura) is comfortably warm, memorable, and unique. #4 “Flux” (Ikedo) has irresistible angles with openness and a drum solo by Omura over a final vamp. #5 “Ebb and Flow” (Omura) sways sweetly like a hammock nap on a ship at sea before threatening waves appear with Ishizaki’s roiling sax. The subtle asymmetry of #6 “GMM” (Ikedo) constructs a fascinating portrait dedicated to Ikedo’s grandmother Misao-san and serves as the perfect magnum opus of the album, along with the initially placid but increasingly intense scenes of #7 “Irreversible” (Ikedo), a song inspired by the harrowing Gaspar Noé movie.

Audio and Video

• Video of the live recording of “Invisible Essence”, track #1 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #3: “Sheepwash”

As is natural for these creative jazz musicians, this album features mostly original music stamped with individuality. There are five contributions from drummer Omura, three from Nagatake, and one group improvisation from all three musicians. The one covered song is the beautiful ballad “Touch Her Soft Lips and Part” by Sir William Walton, played with exquisite clarity and sweetness, and reminiscent of the gentle interpretation on drummer Peter Erskine’s 1996 trio ECM album As it Is with John Taylor and Palle Danielsson.

As for the compositions, Nagatake herself describes Omura’s songs on this album as being like a philosophy book, while her songs take on more of a fairy-tale atmosphere. These songs may be coming from different directions but they are all unified by a romantic quality.

From Omura’s titles and notes, it’s clear that the drummer puts a lot of thought into what he wants to convey with his music. His melodious and carefully crafted #1 “Savichara”, #2 “Accismus”, and #10 “Liquidity” expand on introspective thoughts with deep musical phrases that rise and fall like a boat on unpredictable waves.

His other two songs, #6 “Petrichor” and #8 “Melt Dough”, are down-to-earth appreciations of fine things in life: sensing the richness of transient environments, and gratitude for simply-transformed, delicious food.

A superb thing about Omura’s compositions is that they have a tangible “Ko Omura style”, multi-faceted with boundary-pushing elements. It’s a style also apparent in his music on Polyglot Talk, Vol 1, /his several recordings with Bungalow, and his own leader album /Introspect.

Pianist Nagatake’s compositions share similar qualities to Omura’s in being dynamic, creative, and distinctive. These are energizing modern jazz songs with exciting time signatures and arrangements, and the music never strays from being appealing to listeners, as well as just being fun and stimulating for the musicians who play these songs together.

On this album, Nagatake’s three songs are each focused and special. #3 “Le Petit Prince” is a tenderhearted melody of childhood and growth colored with playful chromaticism. #4 “Glow” is a challenging piece with an elaborate meter and Mobius strip-like melodic traversals. #7 “Not Sure” is a free jazz collaboration bracketed with ornate bookends, like imposing and modern skyscrapers looming over the chaotic streets contained between them.

Throughout, the music is ultra-clean and immediate. The artistically recorded sound is comforting with an immensely ambient presence like ECM contemporary jazz albums. Much of the rhythmic ride is set in straight-eights territory, with subtle swing beats surfacing and reliably strong basslines surging, pounding, or setting the bottom of the frame as suits the music.

This album is further enhanced by Omura’s tabla drumming on a few tracks, as with his other bands and recordings. While he plays jazz drumset on most of the songs with expert sonic control and delicate finesse, his earthy-yet-astral tabla drums are also always a pleasure to hear.

Omura and Mendenhall improvise a spiritual dance of rhythms and bass tones in the second half of #5 “Whispering Clouds / Nimbus”, and tablas also awaken the senses on the positively-charged adventure of #6 “Petrichor”, both unique and very different highlights on this colorful album.

Liner Notes

(A translation of the original Japanese liner notes.)

It’s so cool!

I was so moved the moment I heard Steven Sacco, one of New York’s top recording engineers, exclaim “It’s so cool!” while the trio performed at central Manhattan’s Sear Sound Studios. From deciding then to record them, the days that followed passed like a flash before my eyes.

I was fascinated by Mikiko Nagatake’s lively performances and positivity. Wanting to support her overseas activities more, I resolved to record her in New York. We finalized the schedule in March 2020 with the participation of the internationally active Ko Omura. Immediately after that, the coronavirus pandemic broke out.

As I paused for three years, Nagatake was active with incredible energy, releasing many CDs, performing at top clubs, and achieving great success as is widely known. Omura, in addition to his drumming work, wove his way through gaps in the pandemic to travel to India and study tabla drumming zealously.

This three-year wait also gave me the opportunity to meet Kanoa Mendenhall, a talented young bassist who was attracting a lot of attention and performing with top musicians. While she is small in stature, her bass sound is both supple and strong and became an essential foundation for this trio.

The performance from these three extremely talented musicians unfolding right in front of me… “It’s so cool!”

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone involved in the production of this CD.

January, 2024

Tommy’s Record (representative) and Tommy’s By The Park (owner)

Tomoyuki Wada 和田知行

1. Savichara

In Sanskrit, the meaning of thoughtfulness and prudence. It refers to the act in meditation when focusing on the object of meditation, looking in deeply, and observing.

2. Accismus

This refers to the act of feigning disinterest or indifference in something despite really wanting it.

3. Le Petit Prince

I was so moved by Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince that I came up with this song immediately after reading it.

4. Glow

During the coronavirus pandemic, the downcast days somehow just went on and on. But sometimes, when unexpectedly encountering great music, the perspective suddenly widens and everything sparkles. “Glow” is a soft light, a feeling of happiness.

5. Whispering Clouds / Nimbus

This was captured on the first day of recording. It is the only completely improvised take on this album.

6. Petrichor

This is a word that refers to the scent of soil and grass after the rain.

7. Not Sure

There is a melody at the start and end with improvisation in between. Three people’s wavelengths get tuned in to each other, and it became a really interesting take.

8. Melt Dough

When naan (Indian bread) is placed in a tandoor (Indian stone oven), the dough is baked deliciously as if it has melted.

9. Touch Her Soft Lips And Part

A short piece from a suite composed by English composer William Walton for the film Henry V (Shakespeare). This song is a request by Tomoyuki Wada, the producer of this album. The famous melody is clear, straightforward, and sinks in smoothly.

10. Liquidity

In the field of economics, it refers to the liquidity of value. This song was written with while reflecting on the concept that each person is an existence whose values expand like an infinite universe, so such a value system probably requires fluidity and flexibility.

◆eFreydut: Our group name is based on an anagram of Duty Free.

◆Fairway: The name of a long-established supermarket in Manhattan that was close to the hotel where I stayed and that I visited many times.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video with an excerpt from “Liquidity”, track #10 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Savichara”

Similar to great jazz trios like those of Bill Evans and others, equal partnership is apparent as each member participates actively in the group sound to fill the space with cooperative creativity. While Barry’s piano is the leading voice for many of the theme statements, Omura’s drums and Ochiai’s bass follow and influence the twists, turns, and accents of the multi-cornered melody lines, resulting in a full and fascinating sound.

Joining the jazz trio for three songs is guest trumpeter Hiroyuki Ishikawa, adding some extra sonic texture and timbre to the music. The final song “Komorebi” also features Omura’s evocative tabla drums on the transcendental track, adding a wonderfully earthy sound that he’s explored on his own jazz recording and others.

The album’s liner notes with a concise song-by-song-rundown are reproduced on pianist Steve Barry’s website, and they offer a great description of the album in both English and Japanese.

To add to those, these are some very brief impressions, but by no means a substitute for listening to the amazing music. “Nagoya” is actively modern (such as for instance, Danilo Pérez and Danny Grissett trios). “825” paints with pretty palettes and soulful lacing. “ASP” is uptempo and adventurous. “Paul” explores slowly with emotion. “Nicholstrophy” collects Monkish quirks in a barrel. “Plato” is a curious journey. “SZ” excites with stimulating scene changes. And “Komorebi” is a mysterious, slow-moving net of notes, repeating atmospherically.

Obi Notes

(The notes printed on the obi are an excerpt from the liner notes.)

この録音を通じての演奏には特質するべきものがある。若い世代の音楽家が、高い技術力と音楽的イディオムへの深い造詣を身に付けている事に喜びを感じる。美しさに溢れた音楽は、開かれた思考と心を持ったリスナーにあらゆる可能性を提示するであろう。

The playing throughout this recording is superb. It’s particularly wonderful to hear young musicians like these, playing with such high-level technical skills plus deep idiomatic and musical understanding. This stunning music reflects the cutting edge of jazz today and points to very bright creative possibilities for anyone with an open mind and heart.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for “Nagoya”, track #1 on this album:

• Live video for “Paul”, track #4 on this album:

• Live video for “SZ”, track #7 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #2: “825”

Links

• Polyglot: Talk, Vol. 1 (Steve Barry website)

The music as a whole expresses this vintage, sincere jazz feeling generated by the players’ sensitivity as well as through the recording methods and equipment used. While this can seem to be something of a jazz throwback album (meant in a good way, a sound that can be set comfortably alongside favored music of the past greats), there are also several aspects of modern, assertive jazz making appearances as well… not to mention the Japanese and international context also layered in, described well in the excellent and extensive liner notes.

Liner Notes

(Translated from the original Japanese liner notes written by Mitsuru Ogawa.)

Originally, I was asked to write these liner notes based on an article that I wrote for the second issue of Jazz Japan magazine (October 2010) entitled “Jazz Piano on Club Method”, which was noticed by the owner of Anturtle Analog Recordings, the label for which Mamoru Ishida records. That article spotlighted jazz pianists active in the world of club jazz including Hajime Yoshizawa, Josei (Soil & “Pimp” Sessions), Yusuke Hirado (Quasimode), Shikou Ito (Shima & Shikou Duo), Hideaki Hori, and Yasumasa Kumagai, all of whom I introduced along with Mamoru Ishida.

Although labeled as club jazz, they are not limited to that as they are also active in or mainly play in the style of the orthodox jazz world. Ishida is one of those types of pianists. (Recently, the term “real jazz” has been used in contrast to club jazz, but as an author, I feel a sense of discomfort with that. What is jazz that is not real?)

Except for Yoshizawa, most of these pianists are in their early 30s, and the description of them being up-and-comers or young players fell away as they started to mature into mid-career players. As for Mamoru Ishida, it was his participation on the album from the club jazz unit Jill-Decoy Association that introduced me to his playing. This is a pop-oriented unit featuring a female singer and members playing skillful arrangements with elements of jazz, soul, and funk, all factors that are appealing for today’s younger generation. In this group, Ishida provides solid backing support but also has a strong presence, important for the music as a whole.

As a writer, I developed an interest in both this pianist and Hideaki Hori, who was a member of the club jazz band M-Swift Presents 24-Carat. Later, I learned that Ishida and Hori had joined jam sessions in their high school years and were of the same generation, so to speak. Incidentally, both Ishida and Yasumasa Kumagai have won the Grand Prix prize at the Yokohama Jazz Promenade Competition, which can be considered a gateway to success for young musicians.

Tracing backwards from Jill-Decoy, I listened to Mamoru Ishida’s first album, a piano trio record from 2007 titled Iemanro, (recorded in March 2006). The cover depicts a close-up of a hand holding a four-leaf clover, seeming like something that may end up in the “cafe music” section, but the performances contained therein were stylish and original. Together with players of the same generation Koji Yasuda (bass) and Shunsuke Umeno (drums), they performed conventional bop and ballads. The fun and groove of Oscar Peterson, who inspired him to progress on the piano, can be felt in his performance. Also, a sensitive lyrical touch a la Bill Evans, powerfully sharp playing, and gentle, emotion-rich playing all skillfully coexisted in this one album. Yet, it could have been said that there were not many fresh or innovative elements, and the album may portray a rather plain impression overall. I can’t deny that some aspects were unsatisfying or that there could have been more energy of youth displayed, but these days many younger people don’t play in an overly-glaring way. In any case, the days of strongly asserting yourself at any cost are probably over and this may be the norm. If you think about it that way, he’s paying naturally without showing off or putting on airs, and performing completely sincerely. To put it simply, it’s a likable album.

Here I’d like to introduce a brief history of Mamoru Ishida. He was born on May 1, 1978, and he became familiar with jazz under the influence of his father. The first instrument he picked up was the trumpet, but he switched to piano in junior high school after hearing Oscar Peterson. During his high school days, he participated in many jam sessions with the aforementioned Hideaki Hori and others including Satoshi Izumi (guitar) and Shinnosuke Takahashi (drums), and they inspired each other greatly.

After entering university, he also joined many jazz study groups and honed his skills. It was around this time that he started his full-fledged performance career, entering the 2001 Yokohama Jazz Promenade Competition mentioned earlier performing in the band of Yasuo Nishimoto (also sax), and winning the grand prize.

Later, he joined Risk Factor, a group led by Akemi Ota (flute), and played in the groups of Tomonao Hara (trumpet), Seiji Tada (alto sax), Miyuki Moriya (alto sax), and others. His musical partners included Mabumi Yamaguchi (tenor sax), Takao Uematsu (tenor sax), Tomoki Takahashi (tenor sax), Akira Omori (alto sax), Joh Yamada (also sax), Shinobu Ishizaki (alto sax), Yochi Kobayashi (drums), Masahiko Osaka (drums), Dairiki Hara (drums), and Gene Jackson (drums).

On the club jazz front, Ishida played on Jill-Decoy’s albums II and IV, as well as Hit The Road by Taichiro Kawasaki, a trumpet player he met through their participation in the group Ego-Wrapping. The members of Jill-Decoy had actually been musical acquaintances for a while, meeting at jam sessions and such since around 2001 with many opportunities to play together.

This is Mamoru Ishida’s second album as a leader, about four years after his previous recording Iemanro. Ishida’s band had changed in those four years, from a piano trio to a one-horn quartet, with this recording featuring Ishida with Mike Rivett (tenor sax), Show Kudo (bass), and Ko Omura (drums). This band started in 2010 when Ishida was playing in Tomonao Hara’s band at Ochanomizu Naru, and the visiting Rivett and Omura sat in with the band. Rivett and Omura had played together many times over the last three years, and have also known Kudo since 1997 when they went to Otaru (Hokkaido, Japan) to attend the workshop of guitarist Koichi Hiroki.

I’ll briefly touch on the profiles of these three members. Mike Rivett is originally from Australia, moved to New York, and is now back in Australia, based in Sydney. He graduated from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied under George Garzone (tenor sax). He is active worldwide in genres from straight-ahead jazz to experimental music, dance music, and beyond.

Show Kudo started on electric bass at the age of fifteen and began to play double bass when he discovered jazz while attending university. In 1997, he moved from Hokkaido to Tokyo to join the Koichi Hiroki group and performed together with Terumasa Hino (trumpet), Kei Akagi (piano), Tetsuro Kawashima (tenor sax), and others.

Ko Omura was raised in the United States, studied classical piano from a young age, and started playing drums in high school. Later, he studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Australia under Mike Nock (piano) and Judy Bailey (piano). While in Australia, he actively participated in embassy events and Japanese and Australian cultural exchanges, and through these activities met Rivett and began performing together. It was through Omura that Ishida got to know Rivett.

Original compositions on this album include “The Whack-A-Mole Song” and “Deflation Spiral Blues” by Ishida, “McMahons Point” by Omura, and “M.M.” and “Wait” by Rivett. “McMahons Point” refers to a scenic coastal location in Sydney, and “M.M.” are the initials of a certain bourbon brand. In general, Ishida avoids songs that are too complicated or difficult to hum along with, but chose to play “M.M.” because he liked its strange atmosphere.

“The Thrill Is Gone” is a widely known standard, originally adapted into a 1930s musical production and sung by Carmen McRae and others. The song was composed by Ray Henderson and shares the same name as a famous B.B. King hit written by Roy Hawkins. “These Foolish Things” is a 1930s song from the British musical Spread it Abroad, sung by Ella Fitzgerald and others. “Wonder Why” is a piece by Russian composer Nicholas Brodszky, performed by Milt Jackson and others. “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” is an American folk song, especially well-known as a gospel song. In jazz, it’s probably most known for being sung by Louis Armstrong.

As far as Ishida’s compositions and as with his previous work, the unique naming of his songs catches the eye. According to him, he chooses the names quite randomly, and the appeal of instrumental songs without lyrics means no meaning is attributed to them by words. Many songs have titles without much meaning. It seems that having a title without a limited meaning allows the listener to freely imagine what the song means. By the way, the name “The Whack-A-Mole Song” comes from the melody, which seems to have a falling-down rhythm, reminiscent of the whack-a-mole game. While “Deflation Spiral Blues” seems to refer to Japan’s current economic situation, it turns out it’s actually a reference to a professional wrestler’s special move that appeared in a joke comic book called Cromartie High School. Incidentally, that special technique is such a rare move that it doesn’t appear in the comic even once.

Although his debut featured a piano trio, Ishida has performed in many different group formations, and he says that playing together with horns is very fun and exciting. The sound of a horn influences him and brings out aspects of Ishida’s performance that are not present when playing as a piano trio. It seems that the sound that rings in his head is often that of the tenor saxophone, and this tenor saxophone sound may be the instrument closest to his own voice.

Also, Rivett and Omura have mainly worked overseas, and there is a different sensitivity as compared to Japanese players. When I shared my impression with Ishida, he seemed to agree and said in addition you may sense that in the melodic and rhythmic intonation. And, possibly the different environments and languages in which they were raised results in finding beauty in different ways.

Ishida arranged all of the music aside from Omura’s and Rivett’s compositions. Basically, Ishida decided on the overall flow of each song and the order of solos, leaving the individual improvisation and such to each player, with each player’s performance inspiring one another’s playing. On “The Thrill Is Gone”, the melody statement is not played even once, a concept seemingly hinted at by Lee Konitz on his album Motion. “Deflation Blues” was performed with Ishida deciding on just the solo order, that the melody would not be played at the start, but at the ending in a wicked mood.

Although this is a work by Ishida as leader, the other members all have plenty of room in the spotlight. It’s a band where all four members have a high degree of equal participation and freedom. Of course, since all are professional musicians, none cancels out any partner’s performance, and when playing individually each pays attention to the overall balance. While this band had only performed live five times before this recording, there’s no feeling of immaturity as a band, with unity present and room to grow in the future.

Owing to his experience in a variety of performance situations, Ishida himself has become more sensitive to chord subtlety. When playing in larger ensembles, he considers his individual role, what he should add, or what is better to be left out. This can be said to be a point in which Ishida has grown both as a musician and as a person in the previous four years since his last album.

As for a musical analysis of Ishida’s and the other musicians’ performances, expressions, and so forth, going further than this may become a nuisance to Mamoru Ishida fans and listeners, so I’d like to avoid that. As Ishida says, I think it’s better to let people listen freely without being bound by a limited impression.

Finally, as an alternative, I’ll add some information about the recording method. Ishida is quite an analog record enthusiast with a strong commitment to audio quality and recording. For this recording, all members were located in the same room with microphones placed in front of each instrument, allowing the sound of the other instruments to become wrapped up in one’s sound. With this method, each mic picks up a little sound from the other instruments to create a sense of unity and distance, and so the volume balance of the performance itself becomes very important. It seems there were no problems with that for the recording.

Furthermore, another important point was to record two tracks directly onto 1/2-inch tape. The 1/2-inch tape itself has characteristics of a warm and slightly warped sound, something that Ishida also finds appealing. Since it is recorded directly to two tracks, the modern system of punching in to make corrections afterward is not possible, which conversely adds the benefit of creating a sense of tension in the performance. (This used to be a standard recording style, and is a style still favored by many jazz musicians today.)

The microphone used to capture the piano sound is a 1930s Westrex ribbon mic. This is an old type that Ishida chose for its mellow recorded sound. Rather than having a wide stereo position with each instrument’s sound expanding to the right and left, the drums are set to the left, the bass and piano are in the center, and the sax is set to the right. Also, there is very little reverb, resulting in a fairly dry sound being produced.

Audio and Video

• Mamoru Ishida playing a duo version of “Wonder Why”, track #4 on this album:

• Mamoru Ishida performing “Memories of You” in 2022:

• Excerpt from track #2: “McMahons Point”

Confined to two separate countries in 2020, the three remaining members of Bungalow were recorded in two different sessions. The two musicians Koichi Sato and Ko Omura recorded piano and percussion in Japan and handed off the recordings to third member Mike Rivett in Australia, who layered in saxophones, loops, and sound effects, and finished the mixing.

The result is wondrous, an interweaving of shorter sketches of sound and longer two-part musical stories. The songs seek to surpass conventions like trading of solos and patterns, and often set up foundations of cycling riffs and odd-metered percussion beats, all with a sense of acoustic humanness threaded with synthetic interjections of trilling chirps and buzzes, whispers of ambient sound, and blankets of samples and recorded speech.

With eleven tracks averaging three to seven minutes each, the album itself even seems to contain a subtle “A” and “B” side. The first six tracks are shorter three-to-four-minute sketches, continuously coalescing into moments of solid music and dissolving into cloud-like mists. This music is full of twists of arpeggios and streams of piano and sax melodies in combination with fascinating percussion and drum sounds, interlaced with the sinew and muscle of electronic filters, modulation, and samples moving together through flex and relaxation.

The next set of five tracks contains songs averaging six minutes each, several of which even contain a two-part structure. For example, “Abstract Messages”, “Destination of the Spirit”, and “Fragile Systems/Between Realms” each roughly plays out in two parts, establishing contrasts of serenity and chaos, pairs of organic and synthetic, or raw and digital forces that mirror the acoustic and electronic balance at play throughout the album. The final track, “Gong”, takes this concept furthest, switching back and forth several times between busy and ambient soundscape interludes with a restlessly manic musical loop.

Absorbing and hypnotic, this final album from Bungalow (or “Post Bungalow”, as named in one of their final videos) is a worthy end statement, weighty with experimental and melodic emotional output, radial waves tying up the frayed edges of modern obstacles and challenges into a new, beautiful mosaic.

Liner Notes

(Translated from the original Japanese liner notes written by Yo Nakagawa.)

There was music from the year 2020. Twenty years into the twenty-first century, Bungalow’s new album Abstract Messages brought about the impression that twenty-first-century music had appeared at last.

The new coronavirus brought about a pandemic and nothing but negativity, but encountering this music and reflecting with a birds-eye view, perhaps this was a necessary process for the world to advance to the next step.

Bungalow was formed in 2010 with saxophonist Masahiro Yamamoto who was later replaced by Mike Rivett. In January 2019 bassist Hiroshi Ikejiri withdrew from the band. Reflecting back, Ko Omura says that although he’s not physically present on the recording, Ikejiri’s energy is also captured in the work.

After that, without any thought of including a replacement bassist, a three-member Bungalow with Koichi Sato (piano), Ko Omura (drums), and Mike Rivett (Sax) made a plan for a fifth Bungalow recording in the early spring of 2020.

Then the pandemic happened.

Sato and Omura entered the studio in Japan in February and went ahead with the recording. However, these recorded ingredients were sent to Mike in Australia, who processed the sound, reconstructed it, and mixed it to finish the recording.

Now with the album complete, Omura said, “There’s a lot of abstract music, and the change we’ve arrived at may surprise a lot of people who have listened to us so far. However, in the performance of original music, the spiritual feeling has not changed. I think that it can be said that it’s an acoustic work that makes full use of technology.”

Sato said, “To the music Ko and I recorded in the studio, Mike layered in sax and arranged the sound. He made quite a number of adjustments such as adding effects to the overall sound produced. Mike has long been a person involved with electronic music and sampling. It’s an album on which the three of us feel a sense of accomplishment together.”

The messages the three exchanged in group chats exceeded 100 and seemed to foster a closer exchange than when actually meeting and communicating in person.

“Have we become such a band that can exchange opinions so frankly?” This was a feeling shared by the three members.

Here I would like to share the impressions of each song borrowing the words of the song’s composer as a way of understanding each song and hinting at the intentions of the three musicians.

M1. Entropy in Flux (Omura) - There is no piano solo in this song. We stopped exchanging solos on this album and tried to go beyond that template.

M2. Rainy Lullaby (Sato) - A piano arpeggio establishes the motif, with saxophone singing beautifully over it.

M3. Dance of the Earth (Sato) - A minimalist song with the same riff repeated, overlaid with a sampled speech.

M4. The Simple Truth (Rivett) - Without naming a particular country, there is the nuance of a folk song. There is also truth there.

M5. Til When (Omura) - An impression of acoustic music making full use of technology.

M6. Reduce (Omura) - A song written before corona, but one that became a prophetic song.

M7. Abstract Messages (Omura) - An impression of looking at a mandala.

M8. Fifteen Years (Sato) - Sato graduated from university fifteen years ago and wrote this song for a friend he hadn’t seen for a long time.

M9. Destination of the Spirit (Omura) - A chaotic first half, with “nothingness” and “heaven” experienced in the second half.

M10. Fragile Systems/Between Realms (Omura/Rivett) - The system of economy and education also continues to change in the present. The vicissitudes of fortune. Take-wise, two songs are combined.

M11. Gong (Sato) - Hearing the sound of a bell… Well, at this point, the album ends with this sign of a new era.

Bungalow’s debut album was/ Metropolitan Oasis/ (2011), and the present work may be a proposal for the next stage of Metropolitan Oasis.

Even now, Bungalow beckons you in, inviting you to relax while looking up at the blue sky.

Now, let’s take a deep breath, and hang out for a while together.

中川ヨウ Yo Nakagawa /

Audio and Video

• Video for “Entropy In Flux”, track #1 on this album:

• Video for “Abstract Messages” (excerpt), track #7 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #8: “Fifteen Years”

The arrangements are nice, particularly on the opening track “Moondance” which opens with a deep bass, piano, and vibes setting up a grove for Akimoto to lead the listener through the atmospheric drama of the tune. The decorated arrangements include vocal harmonies with trumpet, flute, and other instruments adding beautiful layers to the music.

After the classy opener, the album continues with the title track “No One Else”, a soulful pop ballad written by Akimoto. The remaining five tracks include three jazz standards: the chaste “I’ve Got A Crush On You”, a sultry “This Masquerade”, and a tender, bossa-flavored “Fly Me To The Moon”. While Akimoto sings in English for most of the album, she chooses to sing in Japanese for two pop songs, “Sentimental” and “Ajisai”, adding to the musical variety and showing us more of Akimoto’s range and affection on her album debut.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for this album featuring the song “Moondance”:

• Excerpt from track #7: “Fly me to the moon”

Compulsively rhythmic and compelling, this album is another fantastical journey through the nooks and crannies of modern jazz with exotic fringes. With Bungalow, creativity is in focus, and on Unseen Scenes this creativity often incorporates repeating riffs and loops of fresh drum patterns and evocative moods. Strands of music weave together to provide the fabric over which saxophone melodies arc and swoop. A combination of dense flavors, spicy accents, and lush spaces with some straight-ahead modern jazz as well.

Notable tracks include the modern “Gauge”, the European fusion “Astir”, the grand “Dancing Elephant”, and “Bombay Duck” with pleasant sounds of the tabla drum. The final track “Respective Scene” also introduces a new side to Bungalow, where the sounds of electronic knocking, static, whirring, and beeps create a soundscape as the other instruments vamp slowly.

Audio and Video

• Excerpt from track #1: “ダンシング・エレファント (Dancing Elephant)”

Masahiro Yamamoto, an original member of Bungalow featured on their first two albums, plays alto sax with a warm, textured tone which bends and flutters with visceral energy while the band lays out arcane jazz sounds not confined to the genre. Whether on the free opener “Metropolitan Oasis”, the slinky rocker “Underpass”, the mysterious drama of “Human Lost”, or the elaborate pieces “Bastristurgisism” and “O.P.P.M.”, the album cleverly navigates and develops their art of sound with lovely constructions and comfortable escapism.

Audio and Video

• Bungalow playing live in 2012:

• Excerpt from track #3: “Underpass”

The nine original songs on this album are full of lyrical freshness balanced with impeccable timing and a sensitive touch. The music covers territory from dream-fantasy jazz waltzes, Lennie Tristano-style post-bop, melancholy ballads, and groovy rock-beat uplifting music, all united with sense of the peace and comfort brought about by Sato’s poetic vision of utopia.

Audio and Video

• Koichi Sato playing live in 2010:

• Excerpt from track #5: “ミラード・ミラー (Mirrored Mirror)”

Starting assertively with a modern jazz/rock feel, electric guitar and acoustic piano lay out high opening stakes for an album filled with dramatic creativity. The songs explore moments of musical sensitivity, relaxed swing, Monkish joy and freedom, and bluesy contemplation, with full sounds of crystal piano tones, warm electric guitar, bright drum work and deep, dark bass anchoring the group sound.

For added variety, a wonderfully plaintive trumpet is present on several tracks and provides a sweet organic mellowness. Adding to the mix, some of the more magical parts of the album feature the lush instrumentation of ethereal tabla drums, interlude-like sections with a deep and exotic meditative tinge.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video with excerpts from several songs on the album:

• Video of “Starting Over” from the album release live show in 2013 with event photos:

• Excerpt from track #1: “ランドスケープ (Landscape)”

This 2011 recording features eight tracks: six original songs from Omura in his detailed, catchy style, unfolding story-like with depth and groovy accuracy. The music brims with fiery energy, passionate yet also containing also a smoldering, somber melancholy. Two of the tracks are group-created free jazz collaborations, splashes of color adding mystery and adventure. The recorded audio is also done beautifully, with separation of drums and cymbals gracefully captured with a lush live sound.

A creative aspect used on this recording is the collaboration of three pianists Hakuei Kim, Koichi Sato, and Mamoru Ishida, playing separately as well as together on some songs, stretching the limits of the standard piano trio format. On several songs two or three of the pianists play simultaneously on acoustic and electric piano in distinct audio channels: center, right, or left separate and identify the pianists on three songs. On other songs, the standard piano trio format is used with pianists alternating on a song or two each, while the rhythm of bassist Koji Yasuda and drummer Ko Omura laying out the pulse and foundation of the music.

Audio and Video

• Excerpt of Ko Omura’s song “Slow Highway”, recorded live:

• Excerpt from track #5: “Slow Highway”

Bungalow’s compositions are in focus here, and like modern songwriting from Wayne Shorter, the music differs from standard jazz patterns with interesting, well-constructed songs, featuring elements of upbeat swing, poetic and meditative calm, visceral rock and organically looping riffs, embellished with searching melodies and smart improvisation played brilliantly. This is well-balanced and addictive modern jazz that weaves deep musical grooves with imaginative compositions and skillful playing, reflecting future-facing sounds built on traditional music from Past Life.

Audio and Video

• Live performance of the title track “Past Life”:

• Excerpt from track #1: “上昇気流 (Updraft)”

You Already Know is part of the band’s series of adventurous and atmospheric releases filled with strong hooks and compelling rhythms. While vamps and percussion anchor the music, shifting tempos, primal folk elements, dreamy improvisation, and some noise effects also factor in on tracks such as “Gravity Snap”, “Imagined Winter”, and the graceful title track. Whether you already know Bungalow’s music or not, this music does take you places.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “サンタ・クルズ (Santa Cruz)”