This latest album is the first time the two have released an album as a duo. Their duo format here neatly follows the intimate, two-musician approach patterned in Matsumoto’s recent recordings. While her early releases focused on the piano trio format (as jazz models, she’s a big fan of the piano styles of Oscar Peterson and Phineas Newborn Jr., with an addictively fascinating play solidly in that mold), her recent albums have explored solo and duo formats. And while Hamasaki’s power and fluency are on mighty display with his co-leader Hideaki Hori in that pair’s long-running Encounter group, his versatility extends to other emotionally rich duos such as with the amazing pianist Mayuko Katakura.

Speaking of versatility and variety, one special feature of this album that Hamasaki had in mind when planning the recording was to accomplish one of his persistent goals, that of using a wide range of instruments throughout the session. Spanning the whole sax family, he blows the baritone sax (track #1, “Listen to My Blues”), tenor sax (#2 “Black Orpheus” and #9 “Over the Rainbow”), alto sax (#6 “Hometown Blues”), and soprano sax (#8 “In a Mellow Tone” and *10 “Someday My Prince Will Come”), as well as two flutes (#3 “Sometime Ago”, #4 “On a Clear Day”, #5 “Sun Shower”, and #7 “How My Heart Sings”). All tracks but one were recorded in the studio, and the last song is a live bonus track recorded at the famous Osaka club Mister Kelly’s. This closer is included here as a tribute to that favorite jazz club and beloved owner Akira Sakurai, who passed away around the time that the album was being produced, and to whom this album is dedicated.

Listen to My Blues contains ten songs, eight great jazz standards and covers with two originals from Hamasaki, with a running time of about fifty minutes. The sax player’s two original compositions, #1 “Listen to My Blues” and #6 “Hometown Blues” are down-to-earth mid-tempo grooves, as bluesy as the titles indicate. Yet, much of the album switches in high gear, perhaps unusual for a duo recording, and a majority of the songs are taken at uptempo speeds: “Black Orpheus”, #4 “On a Clear Day”, #8 “In a Mellow Tone”, and others are all off to the races. The duo gets into a blue, deeply affecting mood on Kenny Barron’s beautiful song “Sunshower” (#5), and the romantic ballad “Over the Rainbow” (#9) becomes a lovely showcase for Matsumoto’s finely crafted piano intro and Hamasaki’s emotive tenor voice.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Akane Matsumoto’s and Wataru Hamasaki’s original Japanese liner notes.)

Thank you very much to everyone who got a hold of this album. From songs that are familiar to all listeners, to heart-stirringly beautiful tunes and soul blues (!), this work is fully packed with the enjoyment of jazz. It brings me so much pleasure to be able to deliver this music to you, unified into singular its form with Wataru-san as we traveled all over the country.

There’s no greater joy than sharing the happiness of jazz with you all, whether through CDs or at live performances. It would make me so happy if this album could result in thoughts like “Wow, jazz is great” and “I like jazz even more than before.”

I would like to thank the listeners, bar masters, and mama-sans at the live venues throughout the country for all your constant and kind support, and I’ll take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Akane Matsumoto

Thank you to everyone who listens to this album. This is also thanks to all those who continue to support us. Gratitude!!

One challenge that I’ve always wanted to try is to bring out the full saxophone family of soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone! There may be a strong impression of me as a tenor player, but I love soprano, alto, and especially baritone sax. Probably most people have not seen me playing those (I’m always hiding when I do so, ha ha).

For many years, I’ve been endorsing Woodstone soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones with the full support of Ishimura Wind Instruments. I am truly grateful.

The baritone sax is a Selmer Mark VI. It’s an excellent instrument that was entrusted to me by an old friend. The flutes include a Flute Masters handmade silver flute and a Brannen 14K handmade flute, both which I use depending on the song.

Of course, paying attention to the relentlessly explosive pianism of Akane’s playing is absolutely essential. I’m so happy that we are able to release an album from the duo that we’ve been cultivating for a long time.

Finally, the bonus track “Someday My Prince Will Come” is a performance from Osaka’s Mister Kelly’s, which regrettably has closed down. I am also greatly indebted to the recently deceased Sakurai-san of Mister Kelly’s, who supported us incredibly, and my fond memories of him and the diving and wine-drinking every month in Okinawa are endless. Dedicated to Sakurai-san.

Wataru Hamasaki

Obi Notes

An explosive pianist, a roaring horn. The mad rush of movement and rare presence of the full use of the saxophone family, from baritone to soprano, and even flute playing. An appetizing recording that fully expresses the allure of jazz and pulls listeners into a state of joy.

Audio and Video

• “Listen to My Blues” (duo live, version 1):

• “Black Orpheus” (duo live):

• “Listen to My Blues” (duo live, version 2):

• “In a Mellow Tone” (duo live):

• “What a Wonderful World” (duo live, aquarium version):

• “Like Sonny” (duo live):

• Excerpt from track #1: “Listen to my Blues”

Matsumoto and Koketsu’s/ Trust/ includes seven tracks of sax and piano duo arrangements and runs at about 41 minutes. The selection is drawn from material they admire and are very familiar with. This includes some of their favorite songs and composers such as Tom Harrell, Richard Rodgers, Enrico Pieranunzi, and Lee Konitz. Speaking of Konitz, sax player Koketsu has an affinity for and a likeness to alto sax players like Art Pepper and Lee Konitz. One of her albums is simply titled Art, and the Matsumoto/Koketsu duo has been known to play certain tunes from the Lee Konitz/Lennie Tristano cool jazz repertoire including “Subconscious-Lee”, “Wow”, and Konitz’s “Stephanie”, which opens this album.

Full videos for three of the album’s tracks are available online (#1 “Stephanie”, #2 “Border Line”, and #4 “Chet”) and show the actual performance recording made for this album, and the three other videos feature the duo in an equally captivating live setting (links to the videos are included below).

As a duo, the mood of the music departs just a bit from Matsumoto’s trademark happy bebop virtuosity — her heroes being Oscar Peterson and Phineas Newborn Jr. — and Koketsu’s wide-ranging, modern edge. They are clearly comfortable and confident together, alternately leading, following, or playing simultaneously, and trading positions intuitively without needing to rely on standard waypoints or signals. With the familiarity and skill that the duo has built together over the years, their sense of time, tone, jazz phrasing, and playing fills the air with subdued hues and room-filling colors, languidly refreshed like a cat stretching out of a nap.

That’s not to say it’s all romantic ballads and sleepy atmospheres. As a single album, the moods are all of a piece, conveying integrity, solidarity, and belief. It’s music that is refined, soft, and fresh, but can be dreamily veiled (#4 “Chet”) and hauntingly moody (#7 “Spartacus Love Theme”) at times as well. The selection of music performed with indisputable skill and wisdom makes their playing intimate, comfortable, and familiar. It’s a perfect fit for the theme of Trust that this album embodies.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Akane Matsumoto and Ayumi Koketsu’s original Japanese liner notes.)

Thank you for purchasing this album.

Twelve years have passed since the start of this duo. We’ve played together so many times that it’s impossible to count. We’ve raised each other through trial and error, playing each of our compositions and interpretations of many jazz originals, and always striving for an even better sound day by day. Through tours of the country and conversations about many things, we’ve discussed everything from our music to thinking more deeply about our individual characters. Along with the respect we have for one another, I believe that we’ve built a relationship based on absolute mutual trust. At this point in time, with the accumulation of these many years since we started, it felt right and somehow inevitable to create a duo album together, and it’s very moving for me. We made Trust wholeheartedly while thinking about the path we’ve walked together over these twelve years. Here’s to the hope that this album can touch people’s hearts, whether one person or as many people as possible. (Ayumi Koketsu)

1. Stephanie

This is a beautiful ballad written by Lee Konitz. The somewhat nostalgic, heartwarming melody of this song seems to bring the performers together. Although there was a set tempo for the performance, the most important thing was to have our natural rhythms come together. Even as we were taking breaths at the same time, we moved to connect the sounds as if singing together. I believe that we were only able to perform this way because of the mutual trust and closeness that we’ve built up over the years. (Ayumi Koketsu)

2. Border Line

This recording was made over two days. With a feeling close to that of when we perform together, we could relax from start to finish by hearing one another’s live sound right next to each other. I could sense a natural flow to the music as a result of the sound and outlook that we’ve cultivated over a long time together, and it moved me many times during the performance. In particular, I feel that track #1 “Stephanie” and this take set the direction for the entire album. I’m proud that we have been able to continue to develop our band-like sound in the flexible form of a duo, and I’m extremely pleased that it’s now taken shape as this album. (Akane Matsumoto)

3. Spring Is Here

This is a song written by Richard Rogers in 1938 for a musical. The opening has a slightly floating atmosphere, and the second half brings a transition to a calm and reassuring melody. It’s a song I really like as I can play it in a very relaxed manner. For this recording, an introductory arrangement was added. It’s a good song for relaxing, taking your time, and listening to leisurely. (Ayumi Koketsu)

4. Chet

If I was asked, “Which three duo albums would you take with you to a desert island?”… People Time by Stan Getz and Kenny Barron is a must, and I can’t let go of my favorite album Kids by Joe Lovano and Hank Jones. I would definitely take Oscar Peterson and Clark Terry, which is always guaranteed to make me feel happy. I would love to continue absorbing 1+1 by Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Of course, I can’t forget Solitudes by Lee Konitz and Enrico Pieranunzi, which includes this song, “Chet”. Speaking for myself, it would be really tough to try to narrow it down to just three albums (haha). The genuine charm of the small form of a duo is the intimate conversation arising from the notes. And the more the heart opens, the more free it becomes. This one-to-one real-life communication, with all its humanity and stimulation, goes deeper than the surface and allows us to recognize and accept one another’s aesthetics and ideas. (Akane Matsumoto)

5. It’s Easy to Remember

This is a song written by Richard Rogers in 1935 for a movie. This may be the song we play most often as a duo. It’s permeated us so much so that we can begin it just through eye contact, without any prior arrangement or discussion. For this recording, we played it without deciding anything beforehand, with the sense that it was like a regular live performance. It’s a long take that unfolds over a comfortable stretch of time. I hope you can enjoy this as if you were listening closely to a ballad in a live setting. (Ayumi Koketsu)

6. Coral Sea

There’s a place I always visit whenever I go back to my hometown. Near my house, there’s a seemingly never-ending path through a rice field. As I’m enjoying the scent of the earth and the song of the skylarks while keeping an eye open for frogs playing in the path, I’m filled with the relief of being in the midst of nature. The sky of San’in can be seen in a sweeping 180 degrees. Mount Daisen, the Fuji of Hoki, towers over a small mountain range far in the distance. Now that I’ve been living in Tokyo for quite some time, I’m able to keenly reflect on the joy of being raised in a land rich with nature. Someday I’d like to capture this beautiful scenery and atmosphere and put it into music. Tom Harrell often writes pieces that have themes of nature, and it feels as if he transforms his emotions about the seasons and landscapes directly into his songs. If you close your eyes and listen to this song, you can just picture the beautiful coral reefs spreading out in the calm, emerald-green sea. (Akane Matsumoto)

7. Spartacus Love Theme

This is a ballad made famous by Bill Evans’ beautiful performance. The soft, gentle sound of alto sax elevates the striking melody. I’ve shared the stage with Ayumi countless times, and we’ve lived through the same period in music together. For me, the term “sworn friends” is a perfect fit. We’ve continued our work while supporting, accepting, and complimenting one another. The deep understanding of what is important to each of us and the many heartfelt discussions we’ve had may just be the source of strength for our music. For twelve years we’ve been pursuing the goal of striving to make our music better and better, together. This album is both a culmination of that, as well as a new starting point for the next stage. (Akane Matsumoto)

Obi Notes

A twelve-year path walked together, carefully listening to and harmonizing with each other’s sound. As musicians on a long and challenging journey, uncovering the secret to expressing the wonders of music. It’s nothing other than “Trust.”

Audio and Video

• Video for “Stephanie”, track #1 on this album:

• Video for “Border Line”, track #2 on this album:

• Video for “Chet”, track #4 on this album:

• Live performance of “Spartacus Love Theme”, track #7 on this album:

• Live performance of “Evanessence”:

• Live performance of “Trip”:

• Excerpt from track #3: “Spring Is Here”

Her early debut album Falling In Love With Phineas drops a name in its title that hints at how Matsumoto’s music and quick fingers are filled with hard swinging and elegant playing. On her trio records and at live performances, she naturally transforms her enthusiasm for highly dextrous, fluid pianists like Phineas Newborn Jr. and Oscar Peterson into her own personal style with dazzling energy.

This inspiration is also present on this release in the form of rapid tempos, elegant passages, and sparkling improvisation. At the same time, Matsumoto’s virtuosic fire and passion are balanced by the pianist’s original compositions and sensitive ballad picks. The eight-song, 45-minute album features the uptempo burners that audiences always look forward to as well as the exquisitely smooth and slower rhythms of ballads and bossas. It all works to set heads bopping, bring forth smiles, and set graceful moods as the tracks play out.

The album begins with a deeply comfortable laid-back groove for the title track “Oh, Lady Be Good”. Tracks #2 “I Love You and #7 “Bye Bye Blackbird” fit the bill for intense barn burners with head-turning improvisation and nicely detailed arrangements. Similarly, track #5 “Tadd’s Delight” is Matsumoto’s arrangement of a tune drawn from the standard jazz repertoire, an uptempo treat that always excites listeners. These standards are handled with expertise and respect while incorporating Matsumoto’s artful designs with interludes, coordinated accent hits and bass lines, and several prearranged intros, outros, breaks, and vamps.

Along with jazz standards are three of Matsumoto’s originals, tracks #3 “Contact”, #4 “Pleiades”, and #6 “A Queen of the Night”. These slower, introspective moments, featured particularly on “Pleiades” and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”, create space for delicate playing and patient absorption nestled among the higher-energy songs. The two ballads are also the two longest songs on the album, and Matsumoto starts and stops time for brief moments as she gently sets free the emotion of the notes in the melodies and improvisation. For an extra pleasing musical touch right at the end, Matsumoto includes the beautiful introductory verse for “Nightingale” played at the intro, and recalls it once again on the way out.

As for the meaning of #4 “Pleiades”, the word refers to the Messier 45 star cluster also known as “The Seven Sisters” located near the Taurus constellation. Reading Matsumoto’s notes for this song uncovers what it means to her, conveyed through her sensitive playing that brims with love and gratitude. With the same celestial theme, it must not be a coincidence that she is adorned with glittering stars on the album cover, undoubtedly guided by her heavenly intentions.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Akane Matsumoto’s original Japanese liner notes.)

1. Oh, Lady Be Good

George Gershwin was one of America’s finest composers. Originally written for the 1924 Broadway musical “Lady, Be Good!”, this is the first song written together with his brother and lyricist Ira Gershwin for a Broadway musical, 1924’s “Lady, Be Good!” Achieving success at a young age, Gershwin continued writing songs while fighting a deep loneliness: “Music is the only proof that I’m alive”. His brother, who understood him best, was always at his side. Although he passed away at the young age of 38, it’s said that he composed over 600 songs in the twelve years of his musical life. Expressing his feeling that “I don’t have time to fail,” the great composer never stopped growing and continued to produce new ideas one after another in his songs. (Akane Matsumoto)

2. I Love You

This song was written for a 1944 musical called “Mexican Hayride” by musician Cole Porter, who gained a sudden leap in popularity with his 1932 masterpiece “Night and Day”. In my favorite biopic about Cole, a movie called De-Lovely, there is a scene where he made a five-dollar bet with a friend on whether or not a song could be written from a cliched phrase like “I love you”. The result was this song. There was a memorable line that the songs he wrote in jest were a hundred times more profitable than his serious songs. However, on the other hand, some say that Cole wrote all of his songs for his lifelong companion and wife Linda, and that he stopped composing after she died. They must have been more closely connected than anyone else. They continue to exist together in Cole’s music. (Akane Matsumoto)

3. Contact

My grand piano finally arrived. For me, as someone who spent over twenty years with an upright piano, this was the very thing that I was longing for. While I was in university, I used to visit friends who had grand pianos and let me play as much as I liked. The grand piano that I welcomed home sounded just like I had imagined it would. The ringing pianissimo notes spread out as if slowly permeating the room. Whatever I play feels good, and I can’t help but smile. I felt like I had finally found it. “A good instrument helps the player to grow.” These are the words of Aoki-san, the piano tuner who I have wholeheartedly relied on for many years and who helped me choose this piano. I wonder how my wonderful union with this beloved instrument will change me in the future. This song is the first piece that I wrote after sitting down at my long-awaited piano for the first time. (Akane Matsumoto)

4. Pleiades

How meaningless are hatred and conflict? Some say that the Pleiadians came from a distant star 440 light-years away to fill the Earth with love. Whenever I meet a kind person, I begin to imagine wildly “I wonder if this person was a Pleiadian in a past life?” These are the kind of gentle people who always empathize with others and give love unconditionally. How many countless times have I been saved by their presence… how deeply I admire their humanity. With feelings of gratitude that cannot be fully expressed… (Akane Matsumoto)

5. Tadd’s Delight

This is a song by pianist Tadd Dameron, one of the first to incorporate bop idioms into his arrangements. The king of jazz Miles Davis revered him as an arranger. He earned a great amount of confidence from jazz musicians, including having a big impact on Benny Golson who also composed many famous songs. Tadd Dameron also contributed written pieces for Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins, Sarah Vaughan, and others. Even while he was buffeted by major changes in jazz history from the 1940s to the mid-1960s, through bop, hard bop, cool jazz, and contemporary jazz, he pursued his creed to the end: “I want my music to be beautiful, and it must swing.” “If people whistle the music I wrote on their way home, that’s all I need”. He carried on with his style of sharing music that fit with audiences. (Akane Matsumoto)

6. A Queen of the Night

This is a memory from long ago. One summer night I was told to come outside, so I went to the front door in my pajamas and opened the door. It was Queen of the Night, flower buds that my father had carefully cultivated. They were beginning to open, and I could see that the buds were slowly turning upwards, little by little, and heading towards blooming. Illuminated by the moonlight, the large white flowers stood out even more in the darkness, and a strong fragrance floated all around. By morning, the color and scent of the wilted flowers would be gone. Still, I was captivated by how they had bloomed so majestically over a short time. It was an experience where I was able to witness the beauty of existence. (Akane Matsumoto)

7. Bye Bye Blackbird

Bid adieu to a world of hardship and sorrow, and return home to a place where loved ones are waiting. Ever since Miles Davis played it, this song became a very famous standard number that has been taken up by many musicians. It has become my regular habit to close my performances with this, to thank those who have come to listen to me play and to wish them a next day full of hope. And as for me, playing this song makes me truly happy and full of positivity. My wish to make lots of people smile though jazz has not wavered at all over the last twenty years. Even if I play it every day, I don’t get tired of this song, and it always gives me courage. (Akane Matsumoto)

8. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square

The scene is a park in London as night is being welcomed in. This is a love song that reminisces romantically about the meeting and parting of a couple. The story is illuminated through the beautiful voice of the nightingale’s song, as if the bird is watching over them. This is a masterpiece by the American composer Manning Sherwin and is beloved by many vocalists including Frank Sinatra, Anita O’Day, Nat King Cole, and Carmen McRae. It was included in the 1940 musical New Faces, a type of musical revue that centered on the enjoyment of song and dance rather than focusing on a clear storyline. The beautiful introductory section of this song is another of its charms. (Akane Matsumoto)

Obi Notes

Akane Matsumoto at the pinnacle of her evolution as a pianist and as a widely in-demand accompanist and backing musician.

This album is the crystallization of her wish to “make lots of people smile through jazz.”

Filled with the fun, the beauty, and the charm of the piano trio!!

Audio and Video

• Promotional video with excerpts from the first four tracks and a video of the recording of “Bye Bye Blackbird”:

• Audio for “Tadd’s Delight”, track #5 on this album:

• Audio for “A Queen of the Night”, track #6 on this album:

• Audio for “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”, track #8 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Oh,Lady Be Good”

As the music hops along through the tracks, many lighthearted, expressive, pretty, and sweet moments emerge, as Matsumoto mixes rubato passages, mid-tempo swing grooves, and joyful touches of stride piano and blues to keep toes tapping and spirits buoyed. For melodic and catchy choices, the music of the influential Richard Rodgers is prominently featured on three tunes: “Little Girl Blue”, “Spring is Here”, and “My Romance”.

The final tracks in particular (“My Romance”, “Sugar Ray”, and “Hymn to Freedom”) are upliftingly brimming, and also shine a light on two more of Matsumoto’s piano heroes, Phineas Newborn Jr. and Oscar Peterson. Peterson’s music is featured with two songs (the lovely “Laurentide Waltz” and “Hymn to Freedom” with its bursting fireworks of spirit) and is regularly heard at Matsumoto’s live shows as well. As for the stained-glass ornateness of Phineas Newborn Jr.’s “Sugar Ray”, Matsumoto brilliantly uses the music’s rhythmic shifts, bass thumps, and flowing licks to evoke the distinct parts of a piano trio alone on solo piano. Incidentally, true to form, Akane Mastumoto’s first album was called “Falling in Love With Phineas”, an album that was recorded while she was still in her teenage years.

The simple black-and-white of the album design featuring line art illustrations is also worth mentioning. Definitely a far cry from typical jazz album covers conveying smoky coolness and serious expressions, Little Girl Blue highlights another side of pianist Akane Matsumoto. Her visual artistry with simple, honest drawings stands apart from other more reserved or attitudinally imposing covers… including her own more glamorous album covers as seen on this album’s obi. In addition to the old-fashioned scene of happy bunnies with flowers and a gramophone on the cover, the inside booklet contains more illustrations from the pianist with bunnies surrounded by favorite books, balloons, or flowers, and cooking, playing, or traveling while wearing fancy clothes.

Matsumoto’s musical art is perhaps of a kind with these detailed black-and-white drawings, as the intricate fluidity and good-natured warmth of her spirit are also given life through the black-and-white keys of her piano. In both mediums, the soft lines, gentle shading, and nimble accents of Matsumoto’s art overflow with optimism and expressiveness, wide-armed and embracing the world.

Liner Notes

(Translated from the original Japanese liner notes written by Akane Matsumoto.)

1. Little Girl Blue/Richard Rodgers

I chose this song to be first on this solo album. I learned that this song had such a cute verse section at a performance of the great Mulgrew Miller, someone who passed away much too soon. I saw Mulgrew in 2011 at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and I remember the impact that his live performance had on me. He had such a power of expression, an exquisitely balanced fusion of traditional and modern elements — a poetic spirit filled with details of technical playing. He was truly a star player, always exciting the audience and bearing a grand atmosphere. Offstage, as he greeted the audience politely, he was a model of gentlemanly behavior. I still carry the photo that we took together in my notebook as if it were an amulet.

2. Sophisticated Lady/Duke Ellington

When I was in high school, I was called to the principal’s office just because I was playing jazz (tears). But some adults understood me. For example, my homeroom teacher in my third year of high school. Once, during a one-to-one lesson, I was asked “Do you like Sonny Clark?”… I was surprised!

My teacher, who listened to jazz at home on big speakers, said that there was a jazz cafe in Tokyo that they wanted to go to someday. After I graduated, my teacher still continued to support me, even coming to my concerts with bottles of sake (laughs).

As for this song, I’ve heard that Ellington wrote it for a wonderful female teacher whom he admired in his student days. This is one of my favorite songs, and it reminds me of my homeroom teacher.

3. Laurentide Waltz/Oscar Peterson

Canadiana Suite, composed by Oscar Peterson for his homeland of Canada. This especially is a song that I love, love, love, and I’ll certainly still be playing it until I’m an old lady. Many of Peterson’s originals have a classical music atmosphere, yet within this element, the music can still be taken to bluesy places. Such is the worldview of Peterson. This is a secret masterpiece that combines elegance and fun. I’m happiest when I’m playing this song, and also when I go to bed at night (laughs).

4. Spring Is Here/Richard Rodgers

When I was a child living in Tottori and my father would come home from somewhere with butterbur in hand, every year I would think “Ah, spring is here.” This song evokes a mysterious scene as if the deathly silent winter’s return has ended, and little by little life slowly begins to move towards spring.

When studying classical music, I especially feel the importance of imagination: “Right now, for the scene you are playing, what can you see?” Kind and lonely. Warm and frightening. Even small things, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is to ask yourself “what” do you want to express of yourself. Even when performing jazz or freely improvising, something I value highly is asking myself, it is musical?

5. For Heaven’s Sake/D.Meyer-S.Edwards-E.Bretton

I really like rainy days. Not only do I like the sound of rain, but also I feel that I don’t need to try too hard on rainy days. On such days, I like to listen to the duo album from Kenny Barron and Charlie Haden [/Night and the City/, 1998]. And the beginning of this album includes this song, “For Heaven’s Sake”. It sounds so dazzling and fresh. I really admire the hidden brilliance drawn out to the ultimate degree in Kenny Barron and Charlie Haden’s marvelous performance. Even if just a little bit, even if slowly, aim for such heights as these two.

6. Too Late Now/Burton Lane

Life as a musician has completely changed due to the global pandemic. For months, I haven’t been able to perform in front of people or to perform together with anyone. Performing our favorite music with our favorite musicians every day, and sharing this joy together with jazz lovers, has all but disappeared from our daily lives. For us, this distress was more painful than the financial hardship. In the midst of that, I received as a gift a CD from a fan who worried about and encouraged me in various ways. The title song from that album is this song, “Too Late Now”. While I may be a very weak person in some ways, because of the kindness of you all I’m encouraged to never lose heart.

7. My Romance/Richard Rodgers

As you all surely know, when one mentions Richard Rodgers, you must remember singing the “Do Re Mi” song in elementary school music class. In “My Romance”, a song loved by all, you can also hear the “Rodgers knack” for using scales skillfully.

When I was in elementary school, I hated music class. The reason was that I didn’t want to be made to sing in front of others (laughs). Even at the music school I attended I stubbornly refused to sing, and I, and only I, was made to stay behind for detention lessons — a weekly routine. I still love my teacher to this day, but I remember at the time not being allowed to go home until I sang, so I would reluctantly do so while staring at my feet.

I never dreamed that I would become a professional musician, playing the piano in front of people almost every night. (But actually, even now I’m still not very comfortable playing in front of people (pained smile)).

8. Sugar Ray/Phineas Newborn Jr.

Phineas Newborn Jr. (one of my idols since I was a child), started playing on an old upright piano at his school. Although it was in poor condition, it seemed that he could make it sound like the brilliant resonance of a Steinway. It’s something he can do because of his deep knowledge of “a beautiful sound”, his precise technique, and his ability to instantly grasp the condition of the instrument and draw out the best parts. It’s exactly like the saying “A good workman never blames his tools.”

I love this anecdote. As I played different pianos in different places every day for work, I started to enjoy seeing how quickly I could become friends with any particular piano, no matter what it was.

The title of this song refers to Sugar Ray Robinson, the greatest boxer of all time. In a piano trio format, this hit song is funky and catchy and highlights each instrument. Here, I have daringly attempted it on solo piano. With Love to Phineas.

9. Hymn To Freedom/Oscar Peterson

My grandfather was interned in Siberia for four years after the war. He would often say “There’s no night that doesn’t end.” [“It’s always darkest before the dawn,” or “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel.”] The more I thought about my grandfather living under such unimaginably harsh conditions for four years, the more I felt the weight of his saying. This is something that always inspires me in these uncertain times.

This song was written during the civil rights movement, and it must have become a great support to all the people who were trying to regain the freedom that is often taken for granted. This is a powerful message from Peterson, a wish for a peaceful and free world.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for “Little Girl Blue”, track #1 on this album:

• A live version of “Sugar Ray”, track #8 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #3: “Laurentide Waltz”

With a laid-back and reigned-in sound, the album is easy to listen to, suitable for relaxation or a comfortable backdrop to day or night. The music fills the room with a calm background texture, with most songs played at slow tempos or as freely-interpreted ballads. The dark-tinged wistful sound of Haruta’s trombone supported by Matsumoto’s wide piano dynamics creates a melancholy feeling with undercurrents of swing, unobtrusive, quietly persuasive, and suggestive of mellow musical stories being told.

/For My Lady /contains eight standards with one original composition from Haruta entitled “Midnight Sun”, a beautifully melancholy ballad. The jazz song chosen for this album honor greats like George Gershwin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Hoagy Carmichael.

Shining moments include Haruta’s emotional playing opening Gerry Mulligan’s “The Real Thing” alone before Matsumoto’s piano joins with gossamer sophistication. Next, the bluesy “Please Send Me Someone to Love” is filled with admiration for Phineas Newborn Jr., one of Matsumoto’s favorite pianists, and shines with the album’s most soulful grooves for the players to dig into. Closing the album, a dreamy rendition of the ever-popular tune “Stardust” is a beautiful take.

Finally, the lightly bouncing tune “For My Lady”, written by the grand harmonicist Toots Thielemans, takes on a special meaning here with Matsumoto’s love for her princess puppy, who makes surprise guest appearances in the videos for “Angela” and “Kemono Change”.

Liner Notes

(Translated from the original Japanese liner notes written by Akane Matsumoto and Nanami Haruta.)

FOR MY LADY

Akane Matsumoto Nanami Haruta

1.I’ve Got A Crush On You

Being largely self-taught in orchestration and achieving success with his masterpiece “Rhapsody in Blue”, George Gershwin extended his knowledge and tackled the merging of jazz and classical music, dipping into the live performance elements of ragtime. Through his short lifespan of 38 years and his lifestyle which left many works transcending the boundaries of genre, he left us with a way to study the importance of finding one’s own path daily, keeping the spirit of endless pursuit and burning passion. Through this famous George Gershwin tune we hope you can feel our direct affection through our music. (Akane Matsumoto)

2.Angela

Antonio Carlos Jobim left this world with a huge number of songs, quiet and beautiful music like drifting slowly on the ocean. Finding a favorite among his works is almost like a treasure hunt. (Akane Matsumoto)

3.For My Lady

A long-time dream came true and a small, female mixed-breed dog finally arrived at home. Although I was excited about the calm, gentle time I would spend together with a dog, she surpassed expectations as a queen of destruction. Tears… Even so, her sleeping figure is like a pure and innocent princess, so lovely that it makes me want to cry. With this song, I tried to depict that happy feeling and always perform it tenderly. (Akane Matsumoto)

4.Byakuya (Midnight Sun)

Among these famous gems, I’ve mixed in only one original composition. When composing, the concept or title can spring to mind first, or sometimes the melody is first to arise. This song was the latter case and I played it live for several months as-is without a title.

However when I visited Lake Akan in November of last year, the cloudless sky, the faintly dyed red color of the setting sun on the snow-covered peak of Mount Oakan, and the scent characteristic of winter in eastern Hokkaido… It’s difficult to put into words, but I wanted to adopt the association of how that scenery moved me.

(When I try to come up with titles, it can be tough…) Someday I want to try to see the real midnight sun. (Nanami Haruta)

5.This Is All I Ask

A work filled with the wonderful message that simple joys enrich life.

There is a mountain called Oyama in my hometown which celebrated its 1300th founding anniversary several years ago. The locals say “With gratitude to Mount Oyama” and live their lives with the blessings of the four seasons. And this richness is quietly conveyed. I learn through the figures of the folks living in my hometown that true happiness lies in being humble towards others and nature. (Akane Matsumoto)

6.The Real Things

A work by Gerry Mulligan that brought about a sort of feeling of nostalgia. I thought about that for a while and realized that it is like a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me when I was a child. I recalled the happiness of that time, the good feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket with Mom’s singing voice and warmth. (Akane Matsumoto)

7.Please Send Me Someone To Love

There are several Phineas Newborn Jr. songs in Nanami’s and my repertoire. This time, we recorded this favorite song, which is also the title of a Phineas Newborn Jr. album. Bluesy and funky, it’s exactly what I love. It’s a number that always creates a fun feeling. (Akane Matsumoto)

8.A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing

I fell in love with Billy Strayhorn’s music, and I can say that encountering this song is what made it happen. I think that Strayhorn’s music is always beautiful, vibrant, soft, and somewhat dark. I tend to like many things with these characteristics by nature. For example, authors such as Saneatsu Mushanokoji, plants like the Rindo Flower, and instruments like the trombone. When I encountered this song, it was love at first sound. No matter how you slice it, it is a charming song that I love. (Nanami Haruta)

9.Stardust

There was a time in high school when I was addicted to looking up the lyrics to jazz standards and copying them, along with translations, into notebooks. I remember being moved by how pure and beautiful the lyrics were that so matched the melody. Ever since, it’s been one of my favorite jazz standards.

By the way, when I happen to hum this song, I’m struck and transformed by the twinkling dreamlike melody and often start to feel uncomfortable or suffering. I wonder if there’s something like light and shadow at work here. (Nanami Haruta)

Audio and Video

• Video for “I’ve Got A Crush On You”, track #1 on this album:

• Video for “Angela”, track #2:

• Video for “For My Lady”, track #3:

• Video for “Byakuya”, track #4:

• Video for “Kemono Charge”:

• Excerpt from track #7: “Please Send Me Someone To Love”

Rather than being filled to the brim with high-tempo chases, Matsumoto takes us on a more subdued and delicate journey on this album. While her trademark agility and speed are not completely excluded, the overall mood of the album evokes a slower, more thoughtful elegance.

The album contains eight tracks with the pianist contributing three original compositions. On the whole, mid-tempo and ballad tracks get the lion’s share of the playlist. Oscar Peterson’s “Laurentide Waltz” is grand jazz eloquence with a beautiful opening piano solo, “Danny Boy” is slow swing, nostalgic but freshly interpreted, and Oscar Pettiford’s “Gentle Art of Love” showcases bassist Peter Washington’s solemn improvisation over quiet chords and drum brushes.

On the other hand, as an interesting twist, classic jazz tunes which are often heard as ballads are freshly reinvented and sped up here. The title track “Memories of You” is stylish and uptempo, sounding like something in the classic Oscar Peterson Trio mold, while Mancini’s “Moon River” is arranged with syncopated hits over a breezy, toe-tapping swing. Matsumoto’s piano improvisations in these sorts of songs are where she particularly shines, laying out bebop lines in a happy-go-lucky style with lots of chic twists and turns. In that same fiery spirit, her original tune “JJ” is included (a live show favorite which also appears on her Big Catch release), showing her breakneck agility and devotion to early piano influences from Phineas Newborn Jr and Oscar Peterson.

The final two tracks feature the pianist in a more mellow mood, with a tribute to pianist Mulgrew Miller in her bewitching composition “Goodbye Mr. Miller”, followed by Matsumoto’s “Hometown”, a tender ballad dedicated to Totori, Japan and communicating a shared love of home to all of us.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Memories of You”

With ten songs ranging from speedy bebop to romantic ballads, well-known tunes from jazz influences are covered, such as Oscar Peterson’s “Wheat Land”, Bud Powell’s “Celia”, and Duke Ellington’s “Sunset and the Mockingbird”, a sensitive and lingering close to the album. Matsumoto also presents three original tunes: “Playing”, a whirlwind Phineas Newborn Jr-style quick bop, “Twilight”, a soft, tender ballad in three, and “My Dear”, a comfortable and heart-warming bossa nova tune.

Her impressive dexterity and jazz proficiency is apparent right from the opening of the album, bringing to mind the legendary Phineas Newborn Jr., who was also honored on Matsumoto’s previous release I Love Phineas. Her skills shine on faster tunes such as “Relaxing at Camarillo” and “Celia”, demonstrating a mastery of bebop and her characteristic happy, deeply-swinging style that she clearly enjoys performing while thrilling the listener.

At medium tempos, Matsumoto’s relaxed rhythmic sense is unerringly charming, playing with a solid, feel-good groove and tangible pulse from the trio. With another tip of the hat to the legendary Phineas, this groovy feeling is especially strong on Horace Silver’s “Juicy Lucy”, where the youthful pianist swings with bluesy flair and decorative gospel touches.

Audio and Video

• Akane Matsumoto playing “My Dear” from this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “プレイング (Playing)”

As “meets” indicates, Big Catch is led by two well-traveled and in-demand jazz players, saxophonist Wataru Hamasaki and pianist Akane Matsumoto, each active in popular groups in the J Jazz scene. With Big Catch, the horn player meets the piano trio and forms a quartet focused on turning out bold sounds of full-bodied jazz, groovy, bluesy, and full of pep.

With 11 tracks of mostly original songs and several jazz covers, the sound runs from mid-tempo groovy swing jazz (“Big Catch”, “Mean What You Say”) to exciting, up-tempo whiplashers, where the players gleefully race at speed, urging listeners to hang on for the ride (“Hiding Place”, “Playing”). For straight-ahead, satisfying jazz sax, comparisons could be made to the sounds of Gene Ammons, Ben Webster, and Coleman Hawkins, just to name a few. Among the tracks, two slower ballads are included, adding a nice balance of mellow comfort and lyricism (“If You Need A Friend” and “Monica”, where the soprano sax adds a floating, softly romantic sound).

While most of the tracks feature tenor sax, Hamasaki also adds color with soprano sax and flute, expertly played. On two tracks, Matsumoto takes center stage in piano trio format, on a straight-ahead version of “Love Letter” and her crowd-pleasing original tune “JJ”, putting her impressive Phineas Newborn Jr./Oscar Peterson-like piano dexterity on full display.

Cover art by Akane Matsumoto (dig those Big Catch big cats having a ball on the cover: “Swinging Soooo Hard!”).

Audio and Video

• Music from the album “Big Catch”:

• Excerpt from track #1: “BIG CATCH”

This album consists of well-written original compositions with a few covers thrown in (Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones). Overall, this is an excellent debut with a variety of moods, tempos, and exciting solos showcasing some premium J Jazz from the current crop of musicians.

Audio and Video

• Live performance of track #4 “Round Table”:

• Excerpt from track #1: “SPEED HARASSMENT”

Alongside classic and rearranged standards from Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Billy Strayhorn, and Jimmy Van Heusen, Matsumoto showcases her skill and bebop affinity on the opening title track and Oscar Peterson’s “Place St. Henri,” while spreading softer wings on the graceful “Miss Sunshine” and her original “Quiet Rain,” a touching ballad which closes the album.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Night&Day”