This is a good album that includes some dynamic songs, but also some sounds that create a calm atmosphere. After listening to jazz for a while, I feel that only talented artists can play calm songs. The arrangement is based on a piano trio, with strings and shakuhachi. This album is a departure from the theme of "Japaneseness" by a pianist who lived in New York. As soon as you hear the sound of the shakuhachi in songs like "A Hazy Moonlit Night," you are drawn into a different world from "chic jazz." You can feel a transience that is different from that of the flute. The nostalgic melodies of “Kagome Kagome” are easy to listen to. I think the familiar melodies of "Harusaki Kobeni" and "Shima Uta" will fit your ears well. I think this album is familiar to people other than jazz fans. And yet, it also includes songs that jazz fans are likely to be familiar with, such as "Giant Step" and "Donna Lee". "Tokyo Rhapsody" is a powerful original song, and I think people who are not familiar with Akiko Grace will enjoy it. "Eternal Road" also has a sense of grand scale with strings in the background. As the title suggests, it is a song that could be used as the background for some travel program, and makes you think, "Is this what eternity feels like?" It is said that you will forget that it is a jazz album. I recommend "Donna Lee", Charlie Parker's favorite piece is performed without brass. The beat created by Kiyoto Fujiwara's bass gives the song a sense of tension. Her fans should definitely give this album a listen. ~ Amazon.com.
Savoy Records, COCB-53128, 2004
Recorded 22nd Nov-10th Dec,
2003 at Columbia Akasaka Studios, Tokyo, Japan
Musicians:
Akiko Grace - Piano
Kiyoto Fujiwara - Bass
Tappy Iwase - Drums
Guests:
Dozan Fujiwara - Shakuhachi
(#8,10)
Chieko Kinbara - Strings
Toshihiro Nakanishi - Violin
(#4,13)
Tracks:
01. Prelude ~ Kagome Kagome
[Short Version] {Traditional} (1:29)
02. Tokyo Rhapsody {Akiko Grace} (5:58)
03. Harusaki Kobeni {Traditional}
(6:43)
04. Eternal Road {Akiko
Grace} (5:14)
05. Memory {Akiko Grace} (4:46)
06. In Front Of The Skywheel
{Akiko Grace} (5:47)
07. Donna Lee {Charlie
Parker} (3:44)
08. A Hazy Moonlit Night {Traditional}
(4:51)
09. Shima Uta [Island Song] {Traditional}
(6:30)
10. Kurosawa {Akiko Grace} (4:45)
11. Giant Steps {John
Coltrane} (5:20)
12. Calmness {Akiko Grace} (6:13)
13. First Light ~ Secretary
{Akiko Grace} (5:44)
14. Kagome Kagome [Long
Version] {Traditional} (5:25)
Total Time: 72:33
Credits:
Producer - Akiko Grace, Ken
Komoguchi
Recording Engineer - Genichi
Kitami, Toshiyasu Shiozawa
Mixing Engineer - Dan Gellert
