You may not have heard of composer Ryuichi Sakamot, but odds are that you’ve heard his music. He’s known for eclectic music ranging from techno to symphonic, usually in the form of movie soundtracks such as Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Last Emperor, Sweet Revenge and Smoothie. Meg Okura, who arranges the music and plays both western violin and Asian Erhu teams up with Anne Drummond/fl, Helen Sung/p, Dezron Douglas/b an dEJ Strickland/dr for a fascinating mix of eastern sounds and sensibilities within the jazz context. Fusion at it’s apex!
There is a playfulness between the piano, flute and violin on material such as “Grasshoppers” that is gentle, fragrant and yet filled with prowess. Okura has a rich classical tone to her violin, as evidenced in the richly romantic “Tango” which has her melding with Drummond’s flute. An adventurous “Grief” has an opening that is as fluffy as cherry blossoms in spring, with longing strings and trio work that give hints of Ralph Vaughan Williams until the trio prances into a dramatic cataclysmic climax, taking your breath away at the last gasp. Even a piece that sounds like a standard Bill Evans bopper such as “You’ve Got To Help Yourself/Ishin Denshin” has intriguing exotic sounds that create new pastels of harmony. This is music to savor over and over again.