Through ten songs tuned to the mysteries of space and time, the music is solidly modern and positively charged. Tokyo-based drummer Makoto Takeshi leads a quartet consisting of sax, piano, bass, and drums, with original songs supplied by all members of the group.

The energetic opener, “Sturm und Drang” (by pianist Tamashi Goto) is a sharp-edge sprint through modern jazz, while “Bird” (by bassist Goro Takano) is a creative and mesmerizing tune, soft and deep, inspired by dreams of flying.

With strong appeal to the universe theme, Rikitake’s “Andromeda” is a gentle, peaceful ode to the wonders of space, while “Echo of Stars” (Tamashi Goto) is a darker, ECM-style mysteriously brooding adventure.

In a memorable closer, the vocalist Maki Fujimura is featured on the last tune “Moon”, a sweet song with Japanese lyrics.

Other songs feature jazz combined with pretty waltz-time ballads, poppy soft-rock, quirky uptempo funk, and snappy Latin beats, all infused with a sense of open-eyed wonder and appreciation for nature and life on this blue dot of a planet.

Audio and Video

• Promotional video for Blue Dot:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Sturm Und Drang”