Yoko Miwa - In The Mist Of Time (2001)

‘In the Mist of Time’ is the debut album by the Boston based Japanese jazz pianist Yoko Miwa. Released in 2001, it features a collection of original compositions and one traditional Japanese folk song, showcasing her talent as both a pianist and composer. For this album she chose bassist Massimo Biolcati, drummer Scott Goulding and guest tenorist Tim Mayer on three tunes. 

“Yoko Miwa demonstrates a full command of the inner-directed, post-Bill Evans piano idiom, which also takes in the work of Keith ]arrett and, to lesser extents, Chick Corea and Steve Kuhn… displays her burgeoning talent as a writer of melodically inviting, impressionistic material, as well as introducing a technically assured soloist with a clean, singing sound and an occasional penchant for the blues in pastels.” ~ James Isaacs, DJ and Jazz Critic. 

“In the Mist of Time displays the depth and breadth of Yoko Miwa’s talent." ~ Boston Herald. 

Yoko Miwa, Digital DL, 2001
PJL Records, MTCJ-3023, 2005
Recorded 20th-21st June, 2000 at PBS Studios, Westwood, Massachusetts 

Musicians:
Yoko Miwa - Piano
Massimo Biolcati - Bass
Scott Goulding - Drums
Tim Mayer - Tenor Sax (#2,6,8) 

Tracks:
1. Fragmented Memories {Yoko Miwa} (5:47)
2. The Deep End {Yoko Miwa} (9:14)
3. I’m Okay {Yoko Miwa} (4:55)
4. Alice {Yoko Miwa} (8:06)
5. In The Mist Of Time {Yoko Miwa} (7:48)
6. When Will It Happen {Yoko Miwa} (8:11)
7. Promise {Yoko Miwa} (6:48)
8. Oak Square Blues {Yoko Miwa} (5:27)
9. Red Dragonfly {Japanese Folk Song} (3:04) 

Total Time: 59:23 

Credits:
Producer - Yoko Miwa
Recording Engineer - Peter Kontrimas
Mastering Engineer - Seiji Kaneko
Photography - Robin Z. Boger, Eva Rubinstein, Masao Ota
A&R - Takashi Tannaka
Design - Junko Ishino

LINK

In The Mist Of Time

Adam Rongo - Tell Your Story (2013)

Young saxophonist Adam Rongo introduces himself to a national audience on the appropriately-titled Tell Your Story, delivering a sparkling debut of straight-ahead post-bop material featuring a seasoned cast of players superbly interpreting a selection of new and exciting cover tunes—all telling a musical story that is unfolding quite nicely. Originally from Essexville, Michigan, and coming from a musical family, Rongo gravitated to the saxophone, studied in Chicago as well as at Michigan State University and learned the jazz ropes from such masters as Dick Oatts, Rob Parton, Tom Garling, Mike Smith and Diego Rivera just to name a few. 

Based in New York where the saxophonist has been performing as a sideman and bandleader, Rongo has established himself as one of the rising young guns in the area's jazz scene performing with some of the finest musicians in the world. Trombonist Michael Dease and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. are just two of the players he has collaborated with and does so again here as part of a core quintet for this album. Eight other players appear as guests bringing the vibraphone, guitar, and baritone sax into the mix. 

Having declared a personal goal of "not just to make my own music flourish, but the music of others...," Rongo draws upon the music of jazz greats like Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Griffin, Jimmy Heath and others to light the fire beginning with Steve Wilson's "Turnin' The Corner" and continues on the following Gene De Paul classic "You Don't Know What Love Is." Wielding the alto saxophone like a wild man, Rongo performs his first of three compositions with the fast-paced "Temporary Paralysis" featuring the great Etienne Charles on trumpet, Behn Gillece on vibes and Rodney Whitaker on bass with solos of their own. 

The soft piece of the set goes to the lovely Johnny Green standard " You're Mine, You " performed in a duet with guitarist Randy Napoleon for one of the memorable tunes of the recording. The exciting original "Doppelganger" captures the sax man's finest performance on the alto as well as featuring Emmet Cohen on excellent piano work. One of the most challenging charts of the album has to be the Dease original "Good & Terrible" showcasing some of Rongo's chops along with fine key work from pianist Miki Hayama and stellar cymbal accents from drummer Owens. The Wager is a hard-driving original falling squarely within the hard bop genre while, "Two Tees" and Carmichael's "Stardust" are traditional in texture. 

The session rounds out with the title track and closes on the energetic Griffin standard "Fifty-Six" capping an attention- grabbing set of splendid jazz. Perhaps little known at this junction in his young career, saxophonist Adam Rongo has one heck of a musical tale to tell on the impressive Tell Your Story and does so with intensity, elegance and grit in delivering a gem of a debut, well done! ~ by Edward Blanco, AAJ. 

D Clef Records, DCR 160, 2013
Recorded 13th July, 2013 at Tedesco Studios, Paramus, New Jersey;
14th July, 2013 at Trading 8's Recording Studios, Paramus, New Jersey 

Musicians:
Adam Rongo - Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Arranger (#2,7,9-11)
Michael Dease - Trombone
Emmet Cohen - Piano
Rodney Whitaker - Bass
Ulysses Owens Jr. - Drums 

Guests:
Anthony Stanco - Trumpet (#1,2,6)
Etienne Charles - Trumpet (#3,5)
Tim Mayer - Tenor Saxophone (#1,2,6)
Tony Lustig - Baritone Saxophone (#1,2,6)
Miki Hayama - Piano (#6)
Behn Gillece - Vibraphone (#3,7,10)
Randy Napoleon - Guitar (#4,8,9), Arranger (#4,8)
Evan Sherman - Drums (#11) 

Tracks:
01. Turnin' The Corner {Steve Wilson} (5:41)
02. You Don't Know What Love Is? {Gene De Paul} (5:12)
03. Temporary Paralysis {Adam Rongo} (6:05)
04. You're Mine, You {Johnny Green} (4:16)
05. Doppelgänger {Adam Rongo} (5:27)
06. Good & Terrible {Michael Dease} (6:12)
07. The Wager {Adam Rongo} (3:43)
08. Two Tees {Jimmy Heath} (4:52)
09. Stardust {Hoagy Carmichael} (4:11)
10. Tell Your Story {Behn Gillece} (4:32)
11. Fifty-Six {Johnny Griffin} (5:52) 

Total Time: 56:26 

Credits:
Producer - Michael Dease
Recording Engineer - Tom Tedesco, Chris Sulit
Mixing, Mastering Engineer, Graphic Design, Layout - Andrew Swift
Photography - D Dipasupil 

Good & Terrible