Japan has the greatest proportion of jazz lovers than any other country in the world. As Michael Caine never said, not a lot of people know that.
The land of the rising sun has also bred a substantial number of great jazz musicians, too. I’m sure no TPA reader needs to be introduced to Hiromi, possibly the greatest living keyboard player – if you do, then I envy you because you have a lot of fantastic music to discover. To her may I add guitarist May Inoue, drummer Shun Ishiwaka and jazz orchestra conductor Miho Hazama. You’re welcome.
Trumpeter Yusuke Shima is a new name for me. His record label has very helpfully offered absolutely no information at all about him, but a trawl of the internet reveals he is a composer and arranger who has been playing and recording since 2002, and now has about 15 albums to his name. He also runs the Todoroki Jazz Records label.
His most popular albums seem to be a series released under the name Silent Jazz Case. No4 in the series has been listened to by fans in no fewer than 160 countries, which is not bad going. The title suggests the concept is something about the use of silence in music; silence is, of course, an absence of music but can also be used by a composer as a way of creating drama and accentuating sound.
However, there is not much silence on this album except in the gaps between the tracks. Shima’s thing is bright, melodic jazz fusion that edges towards easy listening but doesn’t quite get there thanks to the calibre of the performances. Pianist Yusuke Kono, bassist Riku Sugiura and drummer Makoto Otsu offer thoughtful, sensitive and sometimes dynamic support to Shima’s flute, trumpet and flugelhorn on a series of tracks that move from the staccato bebop of Twenty Minutes, Let Me Rest, through the jazz-funk of Tenjin Be-bop and Silent Dancer to the smooth MOR of Night Cherry Blossom Sweet Rain and the sombre contemplation of Chillin’ Sonezaki.
Shima plays long, lyrical lines on compressed, muted trumpet, occasionally breaking out his flute for the gentler tracks. Even when he is called on to let rip with a bit of brassy improv, he does so with great taste and precision, throwing out note perfect quick runs and high-pitched vibrato. Kono is effortlessly fluent on piano, and Otsu seizes every opportunity to bash away with gusto. Even Sugiura gets a bass solo.
Standout tracks include the album opener, the aforementioned Twenty Minutes… in which Sugiara’s bouncing basslines drive a busy, upbeat track that also highlights Kono’s keyboard dexterity and Shima’s penchant for tasteful improvisation. On Yozakuru Kan U and Whisper Of Rain Shima swops his trumpet for a flute, dressing mournful ballads with long, languid lines. Take The S Line builds on Kono’s stabbing chords, with Shima’s trumpet weaving in and out, creating something that wouldn’t be out of place on a 1960s Miles Davis release. And the catchy Sunset Like a Persimmon features Yoshihiro Tsujimoto on clarinet.
It’s true that, at times, Silent Jazz Case 5 does sound a bit like upmarket elevator music. There’s certainly nothing here to frighten the horses, or to make your aged grandmother rip out her hearing aid (she’s probably a fan of John Coltrane’s honking period, anyway). That may not be a bad thing – after all, we all need a bit of variety in our musical diet. We cannot live on 20-minute symphonic prog epics alone. Occasionally, we desire something a little lighter, more refreshing, a musical sorbet if you like.
Silent Jazz Case 5 isn’t music to challenge your ears and set your limbs jerking in 15/8. Elegant, rhythmic, melodic and sophisticated, it’s for sitting back, relaxing and enjoying along with your favourite cocktail (mine’s a negroni, thank you very much).
TRACK LISTING
01. Twenty Minutes, Let Me Rest (5:09)
02. Yozakuru Kan U (5:06)
03. Tenjin Be-Bop (3:37)
04. Museum In Green (5:29)
05. Unzen Muchu (4:37)
06. Chillin’ Sonezaki (4:14)
07. Sunset Like A Persimmon (5:18)
08. Silent Dancer (4:10)
09. Whisper Oof Rain (5:09)
10. Take The S Line (6:31)
11. Floating Ocean (6:07)
12. Sunrise On The Bell (4:30)
Total Time – 60:04
MUSICIANS
Yusuke Shima – Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Flute, Trombone
Yusuke Kono – Piano
Riku Sugiura – Bass
Makoto Otsu – Drums
Yoshihiro Tsujimoto – Clarinet (7)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Playwright
Country of Origin: Japan
Date of Release: 24th July 2024
LINKS
Yusuke Shima – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram