Joining Kimura’s rhythm sections are the front-line members consisting of three horn players who alternate and unite on different tracks. Alto and soprano saxes are played by Akiha Nishiyama and Kohei Ando, and trumpet by Mao Sone, who also switches to piano and Fender Rhodes for two songs.

Most of the songs feature a quartet form with sax, piano, bass, and drums, with Nishiyama and Ando switching off between the two rhythm sections. The two sax players even join up on one song with a burning back-and-forth sax dialogue on the addictively chunky #4 “Updraft”, where the reverse-step riffs and rhythms with the steadily rising notes of melody and improv appear as upward-flowing tendrils of smoke or air.

Along with his crystal clear and clean-cut drumming, this debut from Kimura also showcases to a large degree his writing style with jazz, mainly, but also pop and Brazilian musical influences. There is straight modern jazz composing with personality (#1 “Winter Pillow”, #2, “Groundwater”, #3 “Enrai”, #4 “Updraft”), melancholy infused with folk or ethnic influences (#5 “K’s A Major”, #6 “Gijibato Blues”), and cool-down, laid-back grooves (#8 “Time After Time”, #9 “When It Was New”).

While this is a drummer-led album, Kimura shares the stage generously with all of the members in these trios, quartets, and quintets; his humility extends even to the album credits where his own name is placed last in order. Aside from his locked-in drumming skills, fans of great drummers will also notice several moments on the record when he takes the spotlight. Kimura’s drum solos are featured on track #1 “Winter Pillow” and #4 “Updraft” after the horns and piano finish their solos. In addition, his propulsive percussion intros to #4 “Updraft” and #7 “Overrun” set the mood perfectly and crank up the engines for two of the dynamic highlights on the album as well.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Hiro Kimura’s original Japanese liner notes.)

First of all, thank you for checking out this album.

A warm welcome to those who may already know my name or the musicians on this album, and also to those who are hearing us for the first time. Also, to any young people who may have discovered this CD on their parent’s bookshelf someday decades in the future.

Because this is instrumental music, you can use your imagination freely however you like with this music. But when it comes to me, I enjoy looking at the descriptions on the package while I’m eating, so here I’ll write down just a bit about the songs.

Winter Pillow

From the bed of a room in the cold of winter, a world of music spreads out. This is what I imagined for this song. I wrote this song for my composition class’s final assignment while studying abroad in Boston, and I’ve been playing it ever since I returned to Japan. Come to think of it, Mao Sone also played on it when we played it for the first time in class.

Groundwater

This has the feeling of melted snow which turns into groundwater and gushes out. The members’ love for jazz also oozes out from their performance.

遠雷 (*/*Enrai, distant thunder*/)*

I wrote this song about one summer’s sudden heavy downpour. Dark clouds appeared in the distance and steadily approached, turning into a violent rain. When they eventually departed, they left a slightly chilly air behind.

Updraft

Since two of Japan’s leading sax players are on this album, we recorded this song for the two horns to show their stuff. The two players intertwine and rise to the top much like the title “Updraft” suggests.

K’s A Major

K stands for bassist Keisuke Furuki. It’s a ballad based on a memorable phrase he often plays.

Kijibato Blues

When I was stuck at home in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, I kept hearing the sound of Kijibato (Eastern Turtledoves) singing in the neighborhood. Their listless cries created an unsettled feeling and led to this melancholic melody.

Overrun

One day, there was an internet news article that read “○○ Subway Train Overruns Station Platform”. It stopped only a few meters off, and no one was injured, so I was surprised that this made the news. On the other hand, there are big accidents that occur every day during jazz performances (haha). That’s also one of the best parts. Each member overruns.

Time After Time

This is the only standard tune on this album. Some lyrics include “The twilight at one day’s end.” This arrangement somehow conveys that image of a sunset, as the end of the album also approaches.

When It Was New

This song takes the role of the album’s end credits. I hope that the soft reverberations linger for a little while.

June 20, 2021

Hiro Kimura

Audio and Video

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

• Video for “Enrai”, track #3 on this album:

• Video for “Catch The Flow”:

• Album playlist (YouTube)

• Album stream (TuneCore Japan)

• Album stream (Songlink/Odesli)

• Excerpt from track #4: “Updraft”

The jazz performance and original compositions on this album are focused on a few themes. One, perhaps most important and reflected in the title, is the sense of gratitude that Tanaka feels for others: her companions, musical partners, and no doubt her listeners and supporters as well.

Another goal for the pianist was to release an album full of her original songs. This includes one of her popular live show attractions, her tune “M.T.”, a fascinating uptempo swing number dedicated to and invoking certain comic book reptile heroes.

In addition, there are other perfectly swung tunes, respectful of tradition while pushing forward with new songs and talent. Highlights include the rolling rhythms and skipping frolic of #1 “Hydrangea Flower”, the solid and inventive title track #4 “Appreciation”, and the cool mellowness of #5 “Aries”, aiming to be unbound by genre limits to appeal to all.

Tying it all up in a lovely bow is the final track (and the only cover song on the album), #9 “Konomichi”, played by Tanaka as a soulful piano solo that captures a sentimental fondness in lovely light colors like the so many purple, pink, and blue flowers surrounding her in the cover image.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Naoko Tanaka’s album liner notes originally in Japanese.)

Thank you for getting this album.

I’ve always wanted to fill an album with my original songs, and I’m greatly thankful to the many people who helped this project become a reality. It’s a treasure for me to be able to record this love-filled album with my favorite musicians.

The recording truly reflects my account. When I listen back to the recording, it’s as if I can grasp the feeling of every moment of that time with each song. Such a record of myself is somewhat embarrassing, but I hope that you enjoy it.

Hydrangea Flower

I created this song with the image of my favorite hydrangea flowers with vivid colors and sparkling, raindrop-touched flower petals. The hydrangea were especially beautiful on the day of the recording, and as such this song became even more memorable. It became a great take with dynamic brilliance from the two horns.

Monk’s Birthday

This is a song dedicated to Thelonious Monk, one of my favorites. On October 10th, without knowing it was his birthday, I had a sudden desire to listen to Monk’s music. It’s a celebratory song that I happily wrote from this episode.

M.T.

It’s a song I’ve been playing for many years, one which some may consider to be my masterpiece (haha). I depict the world of the American comic that I love, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It’s a song full of tricky ninja-like moves and a thrilling performance for the trio.

Appreciation

This is a song I wrote for a live performance that marked the anniversary of my 2015 album Memories. As the meaning suggests, I performed this piece to express my gratitude to all of the people I’ve met along the way. Saxophone player Mabumi Yamaguchi, whom I greatly respect, often plays this song with me at live shows, so I summoned the courage to invite him to record this song with me.

Aries

As someone active in various musical genres, I wanted to record a song that was not bound by genre, and I chose an old song that I had written in the past. An image of the starry sky came to me, so I chose the title of Aries. There are a number of times when songs I wrote in the past take on a new, fresh feeling. It will be great if the younger generation also thinks “Wow, jazz is cool!”

mine mine

I was able to get a relaxing song that felt like floating near the seashore. Please enjoy the comfortable and poetic alto sax performance of Takayuki Sato.

A New Day

Actually, this song uses almost the same chord progressions as the jazz standard “Day by Day”. It’s fun to make a new song using a different melody, and to sometimes quote the original song. In fact, this melody came to me on the day before the recording and I quickly wrote it down. I could relax and perform with my favorite trio members who love to play standards.

Strength

This is one of the songs I wrote during a period of two months when I couldn’t perform any live shows in these times. I filled the music with the feeling of the music I want to make and the paths I want to take, and how strongly I felt that in times like these. With courage, I continue to work hard to make the music I love.

Konomichi

I performed Kosaku Yamada’s “Konomichi” as a solo piece. This song has had an idyllic image for a long time. I feel that there is something in common in the jazz spirit, of being proud of your hometown and where you came from. It’s a song that my grandfather loves and one that I always feel close to.

Audio and Video

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

• Video for “Aries”, track #5 on this album:

• A live version of “Appreciation”, track #4 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #3: “M.T”

Folds is a live recording of Kimura’s quintet playing in Kobe in 2022. Drummer Kimura leads the group featuring special guest Kazuhiko Takeda, whose melodic, soulful jazz guitar is exquisitely framed by the relatively younger musicians. Regardless of age, the unit displays talent, harmonious energy, and reverence for the music they create together.

The album contains eight tracks, seven jazz standards and covers plus one original composition from Kimura. Starting with the slow ballad “My Ideal”, the music is straight-ahead, satisfying jazz with a few members each soloing on specific songs.

Takeda’s guitar shines throughout with a warm tone and superb improvisation, a mellow sound that is well-balanced against Hirose’s excellent trumpet notes full of real jazz spirit. The piano sound may seem understated at first, but Naoko Tanaka exhibits a high level of skill with her impressive, jazzy lines and confident comping.

Bassist Yuji Ito and leader Kimura hold down the impeccable bass lines and rhythms throughout the album, and each takes the spotlight on later tracks. Kimura especially, as the leader and rhythmic director, adds ear-catching dynamic variations, rumbling textures, and splashes of sound throughout to support and respond to the musicians as they ad-lib in the moment.

Besides the slow ballad “My Ideal” and the bossa nova “Triste”, most of the songs are mid- to up-tempo numbers that swing with real live vitality, music created in the moment before a rapt audience with fun interplay and imaginative improvisation. Highlights like “Summertime”, “Someday My Prince Will Come”, and “Our Delight” invoke the live spirit and sounds of combos like Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Similarly, the drummer’s original song “Face to Face” has a distinctive Cedar Walton hard-bop style and is a standout with its catchy structure and thrilling solos.

This straight-ahead music combines respect for the art form with modern influences, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Hiro Kimura’s original Japanese liner notes.)

1.My Ideal

This is a ballad with a cute melody. This song was played as an encore for that day’s second set. Listen to the warm sound of the band.

2.Face to Face

This is the only “Kimura original”, played here by the quartet without Takeda. It’s a song I wrote during a self-restrained lifestyle imposed by the corona pandemic while thinking about the enjoyment of playing with people. This song was the first song of the first set.

3.Summertime

This is George Gershwin’s well-known melancholic song. We played it simply with a medium swing feel.

4.Triste

Antonio Carlos Jobim’s refreshing song. You can feel the early summer atmosphere present on the day of the recording.

5.Povo

A funky song by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. Hirose explodes! And definitely check out Takeda’s musical interjections near the end of the last melody statement… it’s so cool.

6.Someday My Prince Will Come

The very famous Disney song. I wonder if it’s rare to be playing this song in this way in the 2020s. We play the song vigorously and at a faster tempo compared to Miles Davis’ famous take.

7.Willow Weep For Me

This is a bluesy song that’s a favorite of Takeda. As for me, when I think of this song I think of Takeda. It’s a beautiful ensemble with him. Please check out the only bass solo on this album.

8.Our Delight

This is a 1964 song from pianist Tadd Dameron. Takeda often played this song in the past, but on this day it seems that it had been several years since he played it. During the rehearsal, we confirmed the melody bit by bit, and we were all moved by the wonderful performance.

Miscellaneous Notes:

I’d love to record with Kazuhiko Takeda.

This has been my [Kimura’s] secret dream for the past several years.

The performance of Kansai’s world-renowned guitar master Kazuhiko Takeda is one of a kind, with frightening sharpness and speed and an original sense of melody that is deeply rooted in jazz.

After meeting Takeda in 2014 we played together many times, but the 2020 corona pandemic made me unable to meet him for over a year.

In the fall of 2021, we finally performed together again. I was astonished by that performance and decided to make a live recording.

The venue was 100Ban Hall in the Takasago Building, a historic building in my hometown of Kobe. This is the spot where my father had an office when I was a child and where I used to come to play, so I feel a strange connection to this venue.

The members for my first album include the ever-reliable pianist Naoko Tanaka and bassist Yuji Ito who I’ve played with the most. In front is the strong trumpeter Miki Hirose, who makes that day’s music the best whenever he is there.

Tanaka and Ito met Takeda for the first time the day before the recording. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime recording.

As for the results… let your ears be the judge.

Hiro Kimura

Audio and Video

• The Hiro Kimura Quintet playing “Triste” from this album:

• Excerpt from track #2: “Face To Face”

With six songs over 35 minutes, the album features all originals, four by the pianist and one each from the bassist and drummer. Album highlights such as tracks #3 “Kirin no Sougen” and #5 “Negotiater” showcase the trio’s stimulating, uptempo jazz-rock, summoning slightly Ahmad Jamal’s later period music with dense figures arranged over churning, funky grooves. The trio also offers slow jazz-pop ballads (“Never Say My Mind”) and modern jazz sketches (“Ocean”, “The Last Train”) to extend the atmosphere.

Although this release is on the shorter side, it previews what is to come from Tanaka, foreshadowing her detailed original compositions and impeccable talent continued on her successive releases and met with mounting popularity.

Audio and Video

• A live version of “Negotiater”, track #5 on this album:

• A live version of “Kirin No Sougen”, track #5 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #6: “the last train”

Although the album was released under the TCQ (Twin City Quartet) name, drummer Takeshi Sakamoto bridges the twin cities as leader and founder of this group. Originally from Japan, he studied in New York before moving to Taipei, Taiwan, where he continued to play jazz locally as well as on tours through Asia. It was in Taipei where he worked with the acclaimed jazz saxophonist Shawna Yang (a Berklee College of Music graduate), gaining insights into the parallels of the jazz scenes in each city. Sakamoto was inspired to record this record to promote the jazz cities’ alliance together with Yang and the Tokyo musicians, strengthening the bonds between Taiwan and Japan with this debut recording.

Sakamoto also provides a special essay in the liner notes with background information, where he notes the “/T/” of both “TCQ” and “Memories of T” being used to represent the /T/win cities of /T/okyo and /T/aipei.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video of “Tokyo Image” for this album:

• Promotional video of “Memories of T” for this album:

• Excerpt from track #2: “G Island”

The nine-track listing includes seven originals by Tanaka, along with the Gershwin standard “But Not For Me” and a concluding piano-bass classical song. Most tracks feature piano trio with the young pianist firmly in command, releasing quick whirls of bluesy notes and graceful glides connected with flourishes of a technique rooted in classical training yet now dedicated to the jazz language with pomp and flair. On two tracks, the trio becomes a quartet with veteran jazz trumpeter Yoshiro Okazaki adding additional color and exceptional solos.

From the first track “Sailing” a bracing, uplifting mood is established, expanding into dreamy elegance on “Sign of Spring” and the groovy bossa bluesiness of “Cato-cha”. Other tracks range from the lovely ballad “Soramoyou”, good-natured midtempo swing on “But Not For Me” and “For…”. Slightly darker tracks like “NY No Omoide” and “Wall Street Blues” round out the presentation with moody and vibrant flashes of energy, while the final telling of a Chopin’s “Nocturne op.48-1” show pianist Tanaka and bassist Daikiu Yasukagawa in an expressive mood, calmly winding down the trip through Memories with a graceful maturity.

Audio and Video

• Naoko Tanaka Trio performing live in 2018:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Sailing”

The pianists and drummers are all players who perform with the bassist on different albums and at live shows in Japan, and each member adds personal touches and dynamics to the combos. The majority of songs are originals from the bassist, with the balance being in favor of slower tempo ballads and relaxed moods built upon the bassist’s deep, weighty sound and timing. A few uptempo numbers are included, starting with the album opener West Side Story’s “Tonight” which kicks things off with a great swing beat, Yasukawaga’s own joyful “My Bebop Tune”, and an exuberantly wild “Circle III”.

In addition to providing a glimpse into the modern working trio in Tokyo’s current jazz scene, Trios II is also a great standalone package of jazz piano trios performing Yasukagawa’s music for a comfortable, mood-enhancing collection.

Audio and Video

• Daiki Yasukagawa Trio video for Trios II:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Tonight”