SHINYA FUKUMORI TRIO - For 2 Akis
ECM 578 8817
Matthieu Bordenave (tenor saxophone); Walter Lang (piano); Shinya Fukumori (drums)
Recorded March 2017
This drummer led Japanese-French-German trio is something of a find for ECM and whose music is perfectly suited to perfectly suited to Manfred Eicher's imprint with its gentle and melodic style of chamber jazz that draws on Western harmonies, a European jazz aesthetic and the Japanese Shōwa era between 1926 and 1989. This strong sense of identity and belonging between drummer and label is therefore hardly surprising when one learns that Fukumori set out with the deliberate intention to one day record for the Munich based label, and based his move too the German city on the basis of this desire.
Citing as early influences, Ketil Bjørnstad’s The Sea and Eberhard Weber’s Silent Feet, along with listening to My Song by Keith Jarrett's European quartet, the young drummer was captivated by the sense of space and silence within the musc, and this he brings to the trio, and the pieces written and developed for this particular line-up. The three musicians bring to the table a unique blend of lyricism that transcends their diverse musical and cultural backgrounds bringing a sensibility and understanding of each other's traditions that allows the music hey create to breathe in a very natural and organic manner.
The album opens and closes with 'Hoshi Meguri No Uta' which translates as 'The Star-Circling Song' by Kenji Myyazawa drawing on Shōwa Kayō, the folk/pop music of the Shōwa era, and this traditnal element is a continuous thread througout. No more evident perhaps on 'The Light Suite' played out in three distinct parts and includes 'Kojo No Tsuki' written by Rentaro Taki and familiar to jazz enthusiasts as 'Japanese Folk Song' as performed by Thelonious Monk on his Straight, No Chaser album.
What characterises this album, and marks it out as something quite special is that not a typical drummer-led ensemble. Yes, the Berklee schooled Fukumori is capable of driving proceedings along in a more traditional and swinging manner, but here the emphasis is on a more intimate level, engaging in a deep yet contemplative conversation with his fellow musicians. Pianist, Walter Lang plays a central role in keeping the gentle harmonies moving, bridging the ground between saxophone and drums, without the need to fill everyavailable space. Saxophonist, Matthieu Bordenave, sticks exclusively to tenor yet comfortably and effortlessly exploits the range and dynamics of both alto and soprano, and subtle use of the altissimo register to create a melody voice that also integrates seamlessly between stepping ut to emphasise the melody line, or dropping back into a conversational three way dialogue.
Quiet it may be, but Shinya Fukumori has brought together a trio of disparate musical souls who have found a shared vision and sound that has an understated sense of exuberance. It is only hoped, that is often his wont, that Manfred Eicher will continue to support and record this interesting ensemble.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
ECM 578 8817
Matthieu Bordenave (tenor saxophone); Walter Lang (piano); Shinya Fukumori (drums)
Recorded March 2017
This drummer led Japanese-French-German trio is something of a find for ECM and whose music is perfectly suited to perfectly suited to Manfred Eicher's imprint with its gentle and melodic style of chamber jazz that draws on Western harmonies, a European jazz aesthetic and the Japanese Shōwa era between 1926 and 1989. This strong sense of identity and belonging between drummer and label is therefore hardly surprising when one learns that Fukumori set out with the deliberate intention to one day record for the Munich based label, and based his move too the German city on the basis of this desire.
Citing as early influences, Ketil Bjørnstad’s The Sea and Eberhard Weber’s Silent Feet, along with listening to My Song by Keith Jarrett's European quartet, the young drummer was captivated by the sense of space and silence within the musc, and this he brings to the trio, and the pieces written and developed for this particular line-up. The three musicians bring to the table a unique blend of lyricism that transcends their diverse musical and cultural backgrounds bringing a sensibility and understanding of each other's traditions that allows the music hey create to breathe in a very natural and organic manner.
The album opens and closes with 'Hoshi Meguri No Uta' which translates as 'The Star-Circling Song' by Kenji Myyazawa drawing on Shōwa Kayō, the folk/pop music of the Shōwa era, and this traditnal element is a continuous thread througout. No more evident perhaps on 'The Light Suite' played out in three distinct parts and includes 'Kojo No Tsuki' written by Rentaro Taki and familiar to jazz enthusiasts as 'Japanese Folk Song' as performed by Thelonious Monk on his Straight, No Chaser album.
What characterises this album, and marks it out as something quite special is that not a typical drummer-led ensemble. Yes, the Berklee schooled Fukumori is capable of driving proceedings along in a more traditional and swinging manner, but here the emphasis is on a more intimate level, engaging in a deep yet contemplative conversation with his fellow musicians. Pianist, Walter Lang plays a central role in keeping the gentle harmonies moving, bridging the ground between saxophone and drums, without the need to fill everyavailable space. Saxophonist, Matthieu Bordenave, sticks exclusively to tenor yet comfortably and effortlessly exploits the range and dynamics of both alto and soprano, and subtle use of the altissimo register to create a melody voice that also integrates seamlessly between stepping ut to emphasise the melody line, or dropping back into a conversational three way dialogue.
Quiet it may be, but Shinya Fukumori has brought together a trio of disparate musical souls who have found a shared vision and sound that has an understated sense of exuberance. It is only hoped, that is often his wont, that Manfred Eicher will continue to support and record this interesting ensemble.
Reviewed by Nick Lea
