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Satoko Fujii
Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer SATOKO FUJII as one of the most original voices in jazz today. A truly global artist, she splits her time between Berlin and Japan and tours internationally leading several ensembles. Just as her career spans international borders, her music spans many genres, blending jazz, contemporary classical music, rock, and traditional Japanese music into an innovative synthesis instantly recognizable as hers alone. Her wide-ranging compositions can incorporate the simple melodies of folk song, the harmonic sophistication of jazz, the rhythmic power of rock, and the extended forms of symphonic composers. Although Fujii’s compositions are full of sudden shifts in direction and mood, the extremes are always part of a greater conceptual whole. The 2015 el Intrus International Critics Poll recognized her as one of the composers of the year. As an improviser, Fujii is equally wide-ranging and virtuosic. In her solos, explosive free jazz energy mingles with delicate melodicism and a broad palette of timbre and textures. Born on October 9, 1958 in Tokyo, Japan, Fujii began playing piano at four and received classical training until twenty, when she turned to jazz. From 1985–87, she studied at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where her teachers included Herb Pomeroy and Bill Pierce. She returned to Japan for six years before returning to the US to study at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where her teachers included George Russell, Cecil McBee, and Paul Bley, who appeared on her debut CD Something About Water (Libra, 1996). Since then Fujii has been an innovative bandleader and soloist, a tireless seeker of new sounds, and a prolific recording artist in ensembles ranging from duos to big bands. She has showcased her astonishing range and ability approximately 80 CDs as leader or co-leader. With each new recording or new band, she explores new aspects of her art.
Between 1997 and 2008, her New York trio with bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Jim Black released seven critically acclaimed CDs. Cadence magazine described the group as “Beautiful and exciting by turns, and sometimes both at once.” Jason Bivins in Signal to Noise, praised the “dynamite unit” for its “improv delirium, hot grooves, and melodic dances." In 2004 trumpeter/husband Natsuki Tamura joined this trio to form the Satoki Fujii Four, which released the critically acclaimed Live in Japan 2004 and 2006's When We Were There.
At the same time, she and Tamura began documenting their intimate duo music. By now, the pair has made five CDs for various labels in Europe and Japan. In his four-star Down Beat review of Chun (2008), Ted Panken wrote,“Fujii's orchestral technique, clear chromatic lines and “prepared piano” devices contrast effectively with Tamura's arsenal of extended techniques which he executes with a warm, vocalized tone throughout the trumpet's full range.”
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Kaze: Unwritten
![Read "Unwritten" reviewed by Doug Collette](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/8896015ca6a63157562085ff86fffea5.jpg)
by Doug Collette
Improvised music is an acquired taste, to be sure. But for those who dote on the spontaneous, the liberating sensation that arises from interplay in the moment is nothing less than addictive. In that regard, then, Kaze's fittingly titled Unwritten, a wholly spontaneous piece of work, holds a bounty of fascination. Presenting a formidable challenge to listeners at the very outset of the record, this foursome proffers an initial track, Thirteen Years," that is just shy of thirty-seven ...
read moreSatoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Jet Black
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by Glenn Astarita
Satoko Fuji, a visionary pianist and composer hailing from Japan, has carved a distinct niche for herself in the world of modern jazz. Her unique style and innovative approach to music have garnered acclaim from critics and audiences alike. On her second outing with the Tokyo Trio, comprising herself on piano, Takashi Suguwa on bass, and Ittetsu Takemura on drums, Jet Black shines as a mesmeric and thought-provoking endeavor that explores the depths of human emotion and musical expression.
read moreSatoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Jet Black
![Read "Jet Black" reviewed by Doug Collette](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/coverart/large/a97b199143b64a85301eb4c3db710025.jpg)
by Doug Collette
Of all the varied settings in which Satoko Fujii places herself, the piano trio may be the most satisfying, if only because of the distinct way she and her respective bandmates stretch the boundaries of this ever-so-venerable instrumental concept. Hardly an exception to the rule of wholly arresting collaborative musicianship, Jet Black is the third outing of a lineup Fujii has dubbed the Tokyo Trio. Also including bassist Takashi Sugawa and drummer Ittetsu Takemura, this unit redefines one ...
read moreSatoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Jet Black
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by Dan McClenaghan
The January 2024 release of Jet Black starts the year out right. It is the Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio's sophomore recording, presenting the Japanese pianist in one of her most compelling modes of expression: the piano trio. This is not foreign territory for her. She headed up a superb threesome with drummer Jim Black and bassist Mark Dresser from 1997 until 2009, crafting gems like Illusion Suite (Libra Records, 2004) and Trace A River (Libra Records, 2008). As in any ...
read moreSatoko Fujii: Hibiki
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by Doug Collette
Expanding upon the Futari duo concept of pianist/composer Satoko Fujii and vibraphonist Taiko Saito, as depicted on Underground (Libra Records, 2021) and Beyond (Libra Records, 2021), Trio SAN incorporates drummer/composer Yuko Oshima, the album of whose, Hibiki, is a proportionately intense companion piece to the aforementioned pair of releases. As if simultaneously beckoning the audience at Kesselhaus, Berlin in June of 2022 as well as invoking their muse as a new collaboration, Trio San begins Hibiki with its ...
read moreSatoko Fujii: Hyaku: One Hundred Dreams
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by Alberto Bazzurro
Inciso al DiMenna Center di New York nel settembre 2022, questo album è forse il migliore, il più importante e ambizioso, realizzato dalla pianista giapponese in tempi recenti (e sappiamo quanto corposa sia la sua produzione da un po' di anni in qua). Basta, da subito, scorrere i nomi coinvolti nel progetto (in special modo il grande vecchio" Wadada Leo Smith) per rendersene conto. La musica, poi, ci toglie da ogni dubbio o imbarazzo: siamo di fronte a un lavoro ...
read moreTrio San: Hibiki
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by Dan McClenaghan
Put a vibraphone into a small ensemble, listen in and the label exotica" might come up--that exotic music pioneered by Martin Denny and Juan Garcia Esquivel. The pairing of pianist Satoko Fujii and vibraphonist Taiko Saito--a duo they call Futari--on their two terrific albums, Beyond (2021) and Underground (2022), both on Libra Records, sounded like exotica from the Twilight Zone. There is something about the glowing murk of vibes combined with the out-of-this-world sounds of Fujii's prepared piano ruminations that ...
read moreSatoko Fujii + French-Japanese Quartet Kaze Tour Australia: January 13-19, 2016 and Japan: January 23-30
![Satoko Fujii + French-Japanese Quartet Kaze Tour Australia: January 13-19, 2016 and Japan: January 23-30](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/d125436009c55c2139a34e6ebfe9e239.jpg)
Source:
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
Pianist Fujii Performs Solo and Duo Concert with Alister Spence January 13 in Glebe Two-trumpet ensemble Kaze unleashes storm of inventive sound with performances in Australia and Japan including jny: Sydney, jny: Melbourne, Kobe and jny: Tokyo “One of the most musically dynamic and intense jazz" sets of the year… If you think you can imagine what piano, drums, and two trumpets will sound like, think again.” —Derk Richardson, KPFA “One of the best gigs I’ve seen this year….” –-Steve ...
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Enter the "Satoko Fujii - Gen Himmel" Giveaway at All About Jazz!
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Source:
All About Jazz
All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Libra Records Satoko Fujii - Gen Himmel giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on October 7th. Click here to enter the contest
(Becoming a fan of Satoko Fujii at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.)
Good luck! Your Friends at Libra Records About Satoko Fujii
Critics and fans alike hail pianist and composer Satoko Fujii as one of the most ...
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Satoko Fujii - Eto, Watershed and Rafale (2011)
![Satoko Fujii - Eto, Watershed and Rafale (2011)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/d125436009c55c2139a34e6ebfe9e239.jpg)
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Something Else!
Our favorite avant gardist from Japan Satoko Fujii is at it again, releasing at once a new batch of records of distinct character. Each are performed by bands she formed whose members render her boundless musical vision within their own voices, ranging from the fifteen member Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York to two quartets with odd make-ups (Min-Yoh and Kaze). She and her husband Natsuki Tamura have together released twenty-seven records since 1997 under their own imprint, and numerous more ...
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The Wide, Wild, Wonderful World of Satoko Fujii: Her Last 5 Releases (2009, 2010)
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Source:
Something Else!
By Pico Since starting up this site about four years ago, we've taken a look at a Japanese whack jazzer only once, but the fact of the matter is, the Land of the Rising Sun is a haven for music that's unconventional, unpredictable and thriving on the edge. For this post, we'll make up for lost time, and we only have to fix our gaze at just one artist: Satoko Fujii.Satoko Fujii is a relative newcomer ...
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Big Band Power and Small Group Intimacy Featured on Two New Releases from Pianist Satoko Fujii
![Big Band Power and Small Group Intimacy Featured on Two New Releases from Pianist Satoko Fujii](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/d125436009c55c2139a34e6ebfe9e239.jpg)
Source:
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
"Whether performing with her orchestra, combo, or playing solo piano, Satoko Fujii points the listener towards the future of music itself rather than simply providing entertainment."-- Junichi Konuma, Asahi Graph.The versatility of pianist-composer Satoko Fujii is on display once more with two very different releases. Desert Ship (March 23, Nottwo Records) features the small-scale intimacy of her Japanese acoustic quartet, ma-do. Zakopane (March 23, Libra) is the fourth album by the powerhouse Satoko Fujii Orchestra ...
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Pianist Satoko Fujii Interviewed at AAJ
![Pianist Satoko Fujii Interviewed at AAJ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/d125436009c55c2139a34e6ebfe9e239.jpg)
Source:
All About Jazz
For pianist Satoko Fujii, 50 is the new 20.
That refers to her age, although you could almost believe it refers to the number of albums she's released in 2008 alone. Fujii appears on four records this year: a trio session called Trace A River (Libra, 2008); a quartet session with her band ma-do called Heat Wave (Not Two, 2008); a session with a completely different trio called Cloudy Then Sunny (Libra, 2008); and an album with the band Gato ...
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The Jazz Session #47: Satoko Fujii
![The Jazz Session #47: Satoko Fujii](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/profile/musician/d125436009c55c2139a34e6ebfe9e239.jpg)
Source:
All About Jazz
Jason Crane interviews pianist and composer Satoko Fujii. Fujii has released four new recordings in 2008, her 50th birthday year. These records find her with her New York trio; on accordion in the avant-folk-jazz group of her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura; in a quartet with some of Japan’s most talented improvising musicians; and in a second trio with both American and Japanese musicians. Far from slowing down in her middle years, Fujii seems to be pushing herself even more relentlessly, ...
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Satoko Fujii: Jazz, with a Little Japanese Rock for Good Measure
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Source:
All About Jazz
MONTREAL -- Consider Satoko Fujii something of a late bloomer. Even though she started playing piano at the age of 4, she didn't realize that improvisation was her calling until she was 20, and she didn't start recording as a jazz musician until 1996, when she was in her late 30s. Since then, however, the 49-year-old pianist and composer has made up for lost time. She has more than 50 titles in her discography, offering everything from solo sessions and ...
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“Fujii is clearly one of the most exciting musicians to come along in a while.” —Robert Iannapollo, Cadence
“100 Years…100 Alumni” —Profiling New England Conservatory’s Most Successful Alumni
Satoko Fujii Orchestra: Talent Deserving Wider Recognition —DownBeat Critics Poll
Rising Star: Arranger —DownBeat Critics Poll
“Satoko Fujii is one of the more arresting new voices in jazz, an intriguing pianist and composer who in the few brief years of her career has been creating personal intersections between the music of her native Japan and the traditions of free jazz. In the process, she's developing genuinely exciting and original music.” —Stuart Broomer, Coda
Photos
Music
Along the Way
From: Jet BlackBy Satoko Fujii
Wa
From: HibikiBy Satoko Fujii
Torrent
From: TorrentBy Satoko Fujii
Perpetual Motion III
From: Perpetual MotionBy Satoko Fujii
One Hundred Dreams Part 1
From: Hyaku: One Hundred DreamsBy Satoko Fujii
Underground
From: UndergroundBy Satoko Fujii
Habana's Dream
From: MosaicBy Satoko Fujii
Molecular
From: BeyondBy Satoko Fujii
Prickly Pear Cactus
From: Prickly Pear CactusBy Satoko Fujii
Kaineko
From: KonekoBy Satoko Fujii
Entity
From: EntityBy Satoko Fujii
Rolling Down
From: BaikamoBy Satoko Fujii
Painted By Moonlight
From: FourBy Satoko Fujii
Asatsuyu
From: ConfluenceBy Satoko Fujii
Imagine Meeting You Here 1
From: Imagine Meeting You HereBy Satoko Fujii
Neppa
From: Kikoeru - Tribute to Masaya...By Satoko Fujii
021305
From: Diary 2005-2015: Yuko Yamaoka...By Satoko Fujii
Yellow Sky
From: Live at Big Apple in KobeBy Satoko Fujii
Long Journey
From: MizuBy Satoko Fujii
1538
From: 1538By Satoko Fujii
Available Gravity
From: TriadBy Satoko Fujii
Ninety-Nine Years
From: Ninety-Nine YearsBy Satoko Fujii
Hypnotique Sympathie
From: Atody ManBy Satoko Fujii
Inori
From: 'Solo'By Satoko Fujii
1
From: FukushimaBy Satoko Fujii
Liberation
From: AspirationBy Satoko Fujii
Kunpuu
From: KisaragiBy Satoko Fujii
Thought
From: Invisible HandBy Satoko Fujii
Ichigo Ichie 2
From: Ichigo IchieBy Satoko Fujii
Potential Energy
From: Yamiyo Ni KarasuBy Satoko Fujii
Running Around
From: UminariBy Satoko Fujii
Gen Himmel
From: ShikiBy Satoko Fujii