Mabumi Yamaguchi: Let Your Mind Alone
The silvery tones of masterful jazz sax glide and soar through dynamically modern jazz on Mabumi Yamaguchi’s 2017 recording Let Your Mind Alone.
With eight original songs penned by Yamaguchi, the music is solid, confident, dramatic, and melodically entrancing. From the gripping opening track “Sequel To A Dream”, the songs flow with a fantastic balance of stimulation and control, offering various styles from peppy bossa rhythms, loose, modern swing, sweet ballads, and brightly positive tunes mixed with stimulating dark tinges.
Liner Notes
(Translation of an excerpt from Yo Nakagawa’s original Japanese liner notes.)
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This is an album that was recorded two months after Mabumi decided to do it. He said something like “I just suddenly felt like doing it”. All of the recorded songs are Mabumi’s originals, and I would like to describe them using his own words.
“Sequel to a Dream”
With its beautiful melody, Mabumi’s soprano sax, and the opportunity to hear each member playing, it’s the perfect opening number. “It’s a song I wrote at the end of 2016 and made minor changes by performing it live. When I compose, the ideas come to me through music I’ve been listening to as well as being delivered through particles in the air, but when finishing I sit at the piano and I wring it out by the process of “not this, not that”. (In conversation with Mabumi Yamaguchi)
“Little Sorrow”
“In general I think samba has a strong image of being bright and cheerful, but this spring I composed a samba with a bit of sadness in it.”
“Let Your Mind Alone”
The album title track is both beautiful and heartrending. “I’ve also played this with Masahiko Sato and Mayuko Katakura. This song, written three years ago, is best suited when played as a duo with piano than with a band, I think.”
“Incantation”
“This title has the meaning of a spell. The melody almost sounds like a spell, so I chose this title.” It’s clear that Mabumi Yamaguchi is also part of the current jazz trend that has followed Mark Turner.
“Aerial Passage”
“I wrote about half of this in 2015 and finished it up for this. It’s the path of airflow, and while there’s a rhythm, I imagined a feeling like the soft weightlessness of air.”
“The Plot II”
“The Plot” is a song composed about thirty years ago for the SQUAD led by Motohiko Hino and Yoshio Suzuki. This number is the second part of that, and the dialogue between the rhythm section and Mabumi Yamaguchi is so enjoyable.
“Carmen”
“This is a song I wrote about 14-15 years ago when I had a session with some rock musicians at Shinjuku Pit Inn. I changed the keyboard part to piano as well as experimented with changing the pattern.” It’s a really interesting result where a modern beat can be felt.
“Arm of the Sea”
“I composed this song for the doctor and famous pianist Hiroshi Irie (1955-2014). He was a genius talent, particularly when it came to rhythms.” The improvisation is filled with tears and touches the heart.
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While many of the musicians are young and may not be generally well-known, they are without exception talented musicians who are definitely polishing their skills. Good performances are heard throughout the entire album. Mabumi Yamaguchi introduces the members:
Yoshitaka Shoji (guitarist, 1960, from Kanagawa Prefecture). In a word, “authentic” definitely comes to mind.
Misato Okumura (pianist, 1981, from Osaka Prefecture). When I’m playing a solo and I hear her comping, I feel like we’re dancing a tango (of course, I’ve never actually danced a tango).
Ryohei Komaki (bassist, 1981, from Kagoshima Prefecture). The type of bassist I’ve been waiting for a long time has appeared. I think that he has tremendous potential.
Nobuyuki Komatsu (drummer, 1977, from Niigata Prefecture). A drummer supporting the Japanese jazz scene. We’ve been working together for about twenty years and I’m looking forward to even more leaps and bounds.
After finishing this album, Mabumi Yamaguchi said his appetite for composing was spurred on and that he wants to write more music after this. May that rising immersive happiness continue on from here.
Let Your Mind Alone by Mabumi Yamaguchi
Mabumi Yamaguchi - Tenor & Soprano Sax
Yoshitaka Shoji - guitar
Misato Okumura - piano
Ryohei Komaki - bass
Nobuyuki Komatsu - drums
Released in 2017 on Spice of Life as SOLJP-0015.
Japanese names: Mabumi Yamaguchi 山口真文 (Yamaguchi Mabumi) Yoshitaka Shoji 東海林由孝 (Shoji Yoshitaka) Misato Okumura 奥村美里 (Okumura Misato) Ryohei Komaki 小牧良平 (Komaki Ryohei) Nobuyuki Komatsu 小松伸之 (Komatsu Nobuyuki)
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Naoko Tanaka: Appreciation (2022)
Audio and Video
Excerpt from “Sequel To A Dream”, the opening track on this album: