Natsuki Tamura – Trumpet; Satoko Fujii – Piano; Takashi Itani – Drums, Percussion

On MESSAGE, the third album from Satoko Fujii’s trio This Is It!, it’s obvious this group knows exactly what they’re about. Fujii’s been writing bold, focused music since her debut with Paul Bley back in ’96, and she surrounds herself with players—like Natsuki Tamura and Takashi Itani—who get it. This trio isn’t chasing convention or novelty—it feels more like a group built for exploring sound on their own terms.

Fujii’s a master of choosing musical partners who not only understand her distinct compositional voice but challenge it, expand it, and even rough it up when necessary. She calls Itani “a crazy percussion player,” and she means that with admiration — his unpredictable, animated playing jolts her more “serious” compositions with bursts of humor and surprise. Tamura, Fujii’s longtime collaborator, continues to prove he’s one of the most expressive trumpeters in modern improvised music, effortlessly slipping between lyricism and abstraction.

The trio debuted in 2018 with 1538 and followed with MOSAIC, a pandemic-era release that still captured the energy of an in-person session. But MESSAGE feels like a new chapter—there’s a looseness to it, as if the trio is pushing the compositions further, finding new angles to twist and bend.

‘Message,’ the title track, captures how tightly composed ideas and free improvisation can interact. Fujii and Itani trade in jagged rhythms and sharp turns before Tamura’s trumpet stretches things open with brash blasts, adding a kind of sweeping drama. Itani’s drum solo is a highlight—not just fast, but sculpted, musical, and full of character.

The opening of ‘Cryptography’ feels like Fujii’s contemporary reimagining of classical music. Tamura’s trumpet has an open tone—melodic, with pretty notes touched by a bit of vibrato. It suits the drifting, introspective mood of the piece.”Itani begins almost whisper-quiet before delivering sudden strikes and delicate percussion—tinkling bells and light cymbal brushes that sketch in sound.

‘Falafel Feast,’ inspired by a Berlin Middle Eastern eatery, shifts from loose exploration to a joyful, bouncing groove in odd meter. Itani clatters and chimes with childlike glee—like a kid happily banging on pots and pans—while Tamura and Fujii jab and weave around each other like dancers in a slightly tipsy tango.

‘Ernesto’ is the most politically tinged piece, inspired by Fujii’s reading about Che Guevara during the pandemic. It opens dark and brooding—her piano playing tense, almost confrontational. Then Tamura’s trumpet bursts in, squealing with grit and determination. The mood shifts; things quiet down. Fujii seems to turn inward. As she put it, ‘I couldn’t agree with violent revolution, but I was moved by his passion.

‘Orange Flicker’ begins with single piano notes—short, midrange taps that start to gather momentum. Double and triple notes soon follow, flickering percussively like sparks catching a rhythm. Some bounce back and forth, settling into a loose pattern before slowing… softening. When the trumpet enters, it’s hushed, almost hesitant. There’s a brief moment where it nearly hints at Frère Jacques—that gentle, circular melody, ‘Dormez-vous? Sonnez les matines, ’like a children’s round. By the end, the piano sounds like delicate wind chimes, or a slowly winding music box.

For decades now, Satoko Fujii has walked her own path through the wide forest of creative music. Whether leading orchestras, improvising in duos, or dreaming up fresh new trio configurations like this one, she always sounds like herself — bold, curious, a little mischievous. With MESSAGE, she and This Is It! don’t just deliver a dispatch from the edge of jazz — they remind us how much joy and freedom can still be found there.

from https://jazzviews.net