CD Review: Asuka Kakitani - BLOOM.

(Review by Dave Brownlow.)

Japanese - born Asuka Kakitani leads an 18 piece contemporary jazz orchestra playing in a style reminiscent of the work of Maria Schneider, Bob Brookmeyer or Vince Mendoza all of whom are descendants of the great master of modern jazz orchestration – Gil Evans.

A former student at Berklee, Kakitani has worked for several years around New York City, paying her dues, and gradually attracting formidable jazz artists to play and solo on her distinctive charts. Commissioned to write by Manny Albam and  the Composer Assistance Program, in 2006, she won the BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Award for her song Dance One

.The 8 original compositions - some over 10 minutes long –  are inspired by the natural world, literature or paintings by modernists such as Matisse  Kakitani’s ensemble has an adventurous harmonic style using thick chords and multi-layered melodies which are constantly evolving and resolving and from which the improvised solos emerge, Many of her technical orchestral devices such as motifs are extended and developed. Light and shade, contrasts between calm and excitement, changes of time signature, complexity and simplicity, solos and ensemble playing and composition and improvisation.

Soloists include saxophonist John O’Gallagher, trombonist Jacob Garchik, guitarist Pete McCann, drummer Mark Ferber, and vocalist Sara Serpa.

A thoroughly absorbing album of contemporary arrangements beautifully played

It is worthy of careful and repeated listening especially by enthusiasts of modern jazz orchestration. 

Title Track.

Dave Brownlow

BLOOM  is due out on January 26^th  on Nineteen-Eight Records.