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15th Tokyo Jazz Festival

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    Posted: 22 Sep 2016 at 6:48am
The 15th Tokyo Jazz Festival was by and large contained within the city’s gigantic International Forum building and outdoor Plaza. The sweltering heat of the outdoors was mitigated by a pleasant, marketplace atmosphere, catering for a mixed and enthusiastic crowd. Messrs Hancock, McBride and Metheny had already played sell-out shows before Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa took to the stage. His lyricism and technical skill were met alternately with reverent silence and eruptions of applause at stronger gestural moments. Shades of classical colours, pop references and driving grooves were all present, and his trio packed some real punch. López-Nussa is an impressive pianist, often breaking down to a left foot woodblock underpinning clave rhythms against the strong rhythmic ideas of his keyboard playing.

Later on, in the bustling Plaza, that hosted most of the free concerts of the weekend, the Australian Jazz Journey opened with earnest intent, albeit lacking some finesse. Masaki Wakamura joined them for a collaboration, playing the traditional shakuhachi flute, kicking the band into A Love Supreme territory, shifting up a gear as Wakamura’s tone pierced across the band and injected some more intensity into proceedings.

‘Bebop night’ saw a new collaboration between the famous Japanese saxophonist Sadao Watanabe, and the exciting prospect of drummer Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts and bassist Ben Williams, alongside pianist Billy Childs and Wallace Roney on trumpet. The rhythm section felt at times like they were going through the motions, and Watanabe took a while to get going, but remained nonetheless impressive for a man of 85. There were, however, plenty of great moments; pensive bass contributions from Williams, the Hubbard-esque tones of Roney, and Childs’ pianistic invention. This collaboration sometimes lacked spark in the formal setting, with the rhythm section seeming a little polite underneath Watanabe, only really letting rip when Roney was soaring at his highest or Childs was at his punchiest. As Watts raced away on his driving ride cymbal, the horns sweated to keep up in trading fours; a smile appeared on the drummer’s face for the first time.

Saturday night finished with the Sachal Jazz Ensemble from Pakistan, packing the square with an enthusiastic crowd, delighting in traditional tight ensemble sounds; relentless tabla grooving, sitar and odd-metered arrangements providing some challenging dance-move conundrums. This was reliably enjoyable, despite some slightly dodgy standard repertoire choices that provided a strange mash-up of East meets West.

Sunday provided more stars with Sergio Mendes, Kenny Baron and the intense Yahiro/Guido duo, who cooked up a storm for the expectant crowd in the plaza. Other Sunday highlights included the Waseda University Modern Jazz Group playing a delightfully messy version of ‘Caravan’, a mellow and pensive solo set from Denmark’s Jakob Bro and a head-on collision of two powerhouse pianists; Michel Camilo andHiromi.

Darting in and around each other, shifting through chromatic language and gestural flourishes, the mutual respect between the pair was immediately apparent, with both pianists receiving huge ovations before even a note had been played. Hiromi was on her usual form; standing and shouting, feet and arms swinging and spurring on both herself and Camilo, goading the audience into a rapturous reaction after each piece. Moments of influences and soundscapes were various, from Ligeti to Gershwin, and both pianists frequently stretched out, displaying their formidable technique. Fistfuls of notes slotted in between interlocking rhythmic patterns that defied any audience member to try to tap their foot along.

All told, the weekend provided an interesting mix of music from around the world with both up-and-coming and established artists. The audience engagement was top-notch, and from the reactions witnessed, this is a festival that is very much close to the heart of Tokyo’s citizens.

       Dave Morecroft

from www.jazzwisemagazine.com

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