This album is a live recording made at the popular, long-running Tokyo jazz club Alfie and captures a date with Hirata and his quartet starring Mamoru Ishida on piano, Yutaka Yoshida on bass, and Yusuke Yaginuma on drums. True to its title, this is an excellent introduction the new player with a selection of old standards played in a completely satisfying, traditional way, and the perfect swing, taste, and synchronized group energy was not only for a fun live show at the time, but produced a great recording to boot.

Liner Notes

(Translated from Mikio Hasui’s original Japanese liner notes.)

The first time I saw Koichi Hirata live, my initial impression was that he was much younger than I expected, yet with a calm and composed demeanor. That first impression of him was a perfect match to the sound that poured out of his beautiful full acoustic guitar. The first song, “A Weaver of Dreams”, began with a quiet solo introduction, and it reminded me of a famous guitar player that I also love, Kenny Burrell. I thought that Kenny Burrell must be one of the guitar players that Koichi Hirata also surely admires.

Speaking of that, that Kenny also has an album with a similar title, Introducing Kenny Burrell. Since this album’s title is Introducing Koichi Hirata, it must also contain a considerable amount of respect for Kenny. Hirata, originally from Sapporo, is currently a 22-year-old university student.

Have you been playing jazz guitar from the start?

“When I was in second grade of elementary school, I was influenced by the Beatles and started to play guitar. Initially, it was not jazz that I loved, it was blues and R&B, and I would play that a lot. Later, I discovered Larry Carlton and gradually developed an interest in jazz. I first learned about John Coltrane through one of Larry Carlton’s interviews, and through the album Blue Train and others, I became seriously devoted to jazz.”

If I had to pick one, I’d say it’s a quite orthodox jazz guitar style, right?

“I feel that rather than saying I play jazz guitar because I love jazz guitar, it’s more that I love jazz and I play guitar. When it comes to jazz, I like the straight-ahead jazz style of the 50s and 60s, so my playing style and tone end up taking on characteristics from those eras. Of course, I also listen to the performances of guitarists from various genres as well. I especially like blues, and players like B. B. King, Albert King, and T-Bone Walker. I think our generation is blessed in that we can listen to that traditional orthodox style, as well as rock, avant-garde, modern contemporary music, and other genres in the same way and absorb them all equally.”

What does standard jazz mean to you?

“As for me, standard jazz is melody, after all is said and done. I also hold the content of the lyrics to be important, but what I want to express more is how the beauty of those melodies inspires moods and emotions. And I want to share the beauty of those jazz standards that we call masterpieces with as many people as I can.”

Was there any specific intention behind the songs selected for this album?

“I chose songs from among those that I usually play with this group. If I had to say, these are standards that I particularly like. I am self-taught on guitar, so you could also say that my interpretation of jazz is also self-taught. These are all songs that I simply enjoy listening to as music.”

At the start, I wrote that Koichi Hirata’s quiet demeanor suited his orthodox guitar style well. But after intently listened to this album many times, I realized that I was mistaken. While you can hear that orthodoxy in his style and tone, I picked up on the additional attractions of soulful bluesiness and a funky side in the performance. The comments he shared for this interview are the very things that define his sound. After all, jazz is the performers themselves.

1.A Weaver of Dreams

A standard by Jack Elliott (lyrics) and Victor Young (music). Kenny Burrell’s version of this song is famous, but John Coltrane delivers a wonderful one-horn performance of this song on a Cannonball Adderley album. Hirata plays this at a slow medium tempo, and his simple but delicate improvisation honor great guitarists of the past with a mature performance that stands in contrast to his young age.

2.This Could Be the Start of Something Big

Music and lyrics by American TV broadcaster Steve Allen. Translating the title literally as something big may be about to happen, these are lyrics that create that subtle anticipation of excitement. The performance starts with Yusuke Yaginuma’s lively drumming, and his characteristic drum sound makes this uptempo standard all the more thrilling. Following Hirata’s casually swinging guitar is Mamoru Ishida’s piano, which is also thrilling.

3.The Shadow of Your Smile

With music by Johnny Mandel and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, this was the theme song for the American movie The Sandpiper. It is a ballad loved and performed by many jazz musicians, including Oscar Peterson. It’s also loved by guitarists, and Herb Ellis and Joe Pass played this song as a duo. Hirata plays it simply, without altering the beautiful melody, but with lots of emotion. The soulfulness intensifies in the second half with a four-person jam that is delightful.

4.These Are Soulful Days

This is a song by trumpeter Calvin Massey that seems to have become famous after it was included on the album Lee-Way by fellow trumpeter Lee Morgan. This session is supported by the powerful rhythm section of Yutaka Yoshida and Yusuke Yaginuma that gives this music, which is usually performed with horn sections, into something that has a completely different appeal. Yutaka Yoshida’s bass solo is hearty and engrossing.

5.Frame for the Blues

This song, a blues tune written by American trombone player Slide Hampton, starts by featuring a robustly bluesy solo by Yutaka Yoshida that seems to proclaim “Now this is double bass!” It’s a perfect fit for Hirata, who started as a lover of R&B & blues, and his quartet delivers a soulfully traditional blues. In that sense, this may be the most Hirata-esque guitar playing on this album.

6.Fungii Mama

An original song written by trumpeter Blue Mitchell. It’s a cheerful calypso tune that brings to mind “St. Thomas” [by Sonny Rollins]. You reflexively feel like dancing when listening to Hirota’s dexterous solo, Mamoru Ishida’s comping and improvisation, and Yutaka Yoshida’s sensitive bass solo. And here too, Yusuke Yaginuma’s drumming is again first-rate. Yaginuma’s distinctive style, somewhat elemental and with a sense of melody, positively directs the mood of this song.

7.My One and Only Love

A ballad composed in 1947 by Guy Wood. Lyrics were later added by Robert Mellin and it became known as a very popular ballad. The performance begins with the simple intro of a guitar solo from Hirota that brings out the beautiful melody genuinely with skillful harmonization that absolutely fascinates listeners. In the middle of the session, the performance ramps up to a jaunty medium tempo, and Hirata’s improvisation also begins to show his characteristic soulful side. Although it’s a staple ballad that is known by many people, here it becomes one that is filled with this quartet’s personality.

Obi Notes

The eighth installment in the popular live stage recording series from Alfie, the long-running jazz club in Roppongi, is finally released. The eagerly-awaited debut album from Koichi Hirata in the orthodox style of jazz guitar!

Jazz guitarist Koichi Hirata is a current college student who has began to make his mark on the jazz scene. He pours his deep love of jazz into his guitar playing and seems to have already reached the level of mastery. A recording of the finest real jazz played with his trusted musical partners!

Audio and Video

• “A Weaver of Dreams” (track #1):

• “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” (track #2):

• “My One and Only Love” (track #7):

• Full playlist (YouTube)

• Excerpt from track #4: “These Are Soulful Days”

The jazzy swing music is easy to get into being so likable, simple, and uncomplicated in the best way. It’s classic jazz piano trio music played by Ozawa on piano, Yusuke Yaginuma on drums, and the two bassists Koji Yasuda and Takumi Awaya, who share bass line duties on different tracks. One song, “I Wanna Be a Duck!”, also features vocalist Ema singing Ozawa’s wondrously imagined original lyrics.

Referencing the title of Cheers! again, the musical mood has that celebratory feel of kicking off a party together, the shared good-will of plans to make time together well spent. Also like a party, the colors of the different songs are various and vibrant while mostly staying true to the straight-ahead orthodoxy of swing, bop, and groove-based jazz.

The majority of the songs are original compositions from Ozaka. Track #1 “Introduction” starts strong and gets into a fun light swing that glows with positive energy. #2 “Poppin’” combines smooth and grit with an infectious rhythm and a nicely decorated arrangement. Next, “Stella By Starlight”, one of the two standards on the album, is a brief intermission-style piano solo, slow and ruminative. Track #4, “Serendipity”, glides through a waltz beat with beautiful, serious harmonies with graceful touches.

Track #5 is “Something Like That”, an upbeat and addictive highlight with a riff based on a Northeastern Brazilian Baião rhythm with syncopated melodic hits and harmonic whorls. #6 “My Old Grandad” is a tender ballad, soft and pretty. The sole vocal song is next, and “I Wanna Be a Duck!” rises as the liveliest voice in the cheering section that takes on a silly-seeming waltz with a pure sweetness at its core.

Another highlight is #8 “M’s Mark”, a song that leans toward the hard bop corner of piano trio jazz with nods towards the groovy Blue Note sounds of pianists like Sonny Clark and Horace Silver. The familiar jazz tune “Time After Time” follows with more light-fingered and crisp swing. Closing the set is Ozawa’s “Dear Gene”, full of the deep soul and jazzy blues of the with a style somewhere between Herbie Hancock and Oscar Peterson. This closer is dedicated to the highly regarded jazz pianist Gene Harris, who Ozawa draws inspiration from here as she digs in with bluesy power and obvious pleasure.

Online Liner Notes

(Translated from the original Japanese online introduction to this album.)

This is the debut album from a young pianist of the classic jazz tradition who regularly plays at Blue Note Place in Tokyo!

This recording centers around her original material, rich in variety, and delivered by her usual trio with complete and reliable trust.

In addition to two famous jazz standards, the songs include her blues number “Poppin’” with its second-line rhythm, her charming “I Wanna Be a Duck!” featuring vividly imaginative lyrics and singer Ema’s bright and cheerful voice, and “Dear Gene” which is dedicated to the beloved pianist Gene Harris. The tradition of classic jazz is respected through all ten songs while presenting an authentic portrait of Saki Ozawa.

Audio and Video

• “Introduction” (track #1):

• “Poppin’” (track #2):

• “M’s Mark” (track #8) - live performance from 2023:

• “Time After Time” (track #9) - live performance from 2023:

• Full playlist (YouTube)

• Excerpt from track #5: “Something Like That”

They fill the nine-track album with 58 minutes of beloved tunes from the standard jazz playbook and the ballad/swing/bop canon, mostly from the core 1950s and 60s jazz eras:

1. “When Sunny Gets Blue” (Fisher/Segal, 1956)
2. “Something Special” (Jim Hall, 1993)
3. “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise” (Romberg/Hammerstein II, 1928)
4. “Full House” (Wes Montgomery, 1962) \* trio w/ drums
5. “Wilton’s Mood” (Wilton Gaynair, 1959) \* quartet w/ sax, drums
6. “Two for the Road” (Mancini/Bricusse, 1967)
7. “Emily” (Mandel/Mercer, 1964)
8. “Reflections” (Thelonious Monk, 1952)
9. “My One and Only Love” (Wood/Mellin, 1952) \* trio w/ sax

On three of the tracks (marked with * above), the duo expands to a trio or a quartet with saxophonist Kosuke Mine and drummer Yusuke Yaginuma joining in. On these trio/quartet tracks, the effect is a natural increase in energy and excitement with the inherent rhythmic energy brought in by the drums and the full body of an edgy but mellow saxophone tone.

The duo stays close to the original compositions in their play-through, honoring the essence of each song without altering too much. A lot of enjoyment is generated through the beautiful tones of each instrument and the genuine jazz feel each member brings to the tunes’ melodies and each player’s improvisations.

In general, there’s a happy, relaxed feel that runs through the tracks. Three songs are played as sentimental ballads (#1, 6, 9) or comfortably subdued moments and mid-tempo swinging sessions on the majority of the songs. The two tracks with sax, #5 “Wilton’s Mood” and the album closer #9 “My One and Only Love”, are played with energetic verve and romantic tenderness, respectively.

Audio and Video

• Yuji Ito playing “Isfahan”:

• Koichi Hirata Quartet playing “My One and Only Love”:

• Yuji Ito, Ryo Ogihara, and Ren Yamamoto playing “Take the Coltrane”:

• Koichi Hirata Quartet playing “Polka Dots and Moonbeams”:

• Koichi Hirata, Kota Kaihori, and Daisuke Ijichi playing “Joy Spring”:

• Koichi Hirata and Fumika Asari Quartet playing “Anthropology”:

• Excerpt from track #4: “Full House”

From song to song, the combination of musicians and styles changes, shuffling between quartets, trios, and duos. Throughout, relaxed easiness and vintage swing arise from classy ensemble playing and spotlit guitar improvisation. As for the changing combos, a guitar quartet is featured on track #1 (guitar, piano, bass, drums), then a trio on #2 (guitar, bass, drums), a guitar & guitar duo, a quartet, a trio, a guitar & piano duo, a quartet (guitar, alto sax, trombone, bass), a sextet, and finally a guitar solo. This variation of players and combinations of instruments keeps things interesting while introducing Asari’s musical vision for her debut release.

The first two tracks on Introducin’ are instantly welcoming, with the nice bossa group sound on “Triste” followed by a bluesy jazz groove on Asari’s original “Summit”, a song with a classic vintage vibe recalling the feeling of Grant Green or Sonny Clark albums. Next, “Black Orpheus” pairs Asari with guitarist Sadanori Nakamure for the hypnotic sound of two guitars playing off of each other. (Asari is also featured on a 2022 release entitled /Generations Guitar Trio /with Nakamure and guitarist Mitsukuni Tanabe, expanding on this layered guitar sound with a full album).

Other highlights include a comfortably swinging jazz quartet on “Bluesette”, up-tempo excitement on “Daahood”, and even some pop easy-listening with two Carpenters songs played back-to-back near the end of the album. Asari ends with an especially sentimental guitar solo on “But Beautiful”, leaving a warm impression as a lasting introduction to her music.

Liner Notes

(Translated from the original Japanese liner notes written by Hiro Yamanaka.)

In the summer of 2015, I was in Ochanomizu covering the finals of the Gibson Jazz Guitar contest. While exchanging pleasantries with an acquaintance who was a jazz guitarist, she told me about a wonderful young woman, a guitarist who was appearing that day. That was the day I first heard the playing of Fumika Asari.

It was also the day that signaled to me the coming of a new generation, as I heard the traditional old-style playing (in a good way) of a guitarist still in her early 20s. After that, I had the opportunity to interview her several times for jazz magazines, and as I got to know her personally I could sense her unchanging honest characteristics, and perhaps a slightly stubborn side as well, if I may be so bold. I was happy as I sensed the progress of her guitar playing over time as if it were my own accomplishment. As she was polishing her skills accumulating many live performances with excellent musicians, it was not only this writer but many jazz guitar fans who were looking forward to her debut recording. And now that time has come.

Anyone listening to this work Introducin’ will certainly feel happy. You can understand how she loves jazz, and how she studied the playing styles of many legends. Rather than writing liner notes in the old style of a track-by-track explanation, it seems unnecessary because the listener’s heart and ears will judge while enjoying the music. So here I will write mainly about my honest feelings.

There are many jazz guitarists in Japan’s jazz scene now expressing themselves in different styles. In particular, young guitarists seem to prefer a traditional style. Of course, there are guitarists such as May Inoue who pursue new expressions and styles, which is an attractive part of the future of Japanese jazz guitar.

Fumika Asari’s jazz origins were most likely influenced by Mingus, an old jazz cafe in her hometown of Fukushima City where she heard the music of players like Grant Green and Jim Hall.

As those who know these two legends are aware, their musical sensibilities vary widely, yet she absorbed them simultaneously. For example, you can hear a strong Grant Green style in the straight melodic expression in “Triste” and “Bluesette”, but when it comes to ad-libbed improvisation, within the Grant Green style you can hear some Jim Hall coexisting in the construction of harmony and flow of her phrasing.

Emily Remler is another guitarist who influenced her. In addition to Remler’s hard-picking and powerful swing, perhaps the recording of “Daahoud” here is influenced by Remler’s recording of “Daahoud.” As for “Daahoud,” the name comes from a colleague of composer Clifford Brown, the trumpeter Talib Dawud. This must be an expression of respect characteristic of jazz players.

This album contains two original songs, both of which are excellent and fully express Asari’s sensitivity. Surely I’m not the only one who can also feel the good sensibility of Emily Remler here. And the seventh and eighth songs are arranged like a medley of two hit songs by a band she loves, the Carpenters. It’s a really smart, crowd-pleasing technique.

Picking highlights is difficult when all the tracks are so good, but the duo on “Black Orpheus” with Japanese jazz guitar god Sadanori Nakamure naturally deserves special mention. In recent years, Asari has been performing regularly in a guitar trio with Nakamure and Mitsukuni Tanabe, and knowing their minds so well they breathe life into the songs head-on. It’s quite admirable. Incidentally, both Asari and Nakamure were born in the Year of the Rooster, yet there is a sixty-year age difference!

How is Fumika Asari’s debut album? The guitar tone is incredibly beautiful! Plus, the importance of the melody and poetic sentiment is conveyed. And, the special attention paid to the various formations, and the support of the participating musicians really shines through. In the 1947 American film Road to Rio, Bing Crosby sings the song “But Beautiful” with lyrics comparing the aspects of love. I don’t think that this meaning here of the word “beautiful” is the same as the Japanese word “utsukushii” (beautiful). As this “beautiful” is expressed by the meaning of the lyrics as “subarashii” (wonderful), such is Fumika Asari’s solo guitar beautiful.

Jazz journalist Hiro Yamanaka 山中弘行

Audio and Video

• Fumika Asari playing track #4 “Bluesette” with ceramic art by Mika Noguchi:

• Fumika Asari Quartet playing “Daahood” live, track #5 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Triste”