| Jazz moderne |
Message is very likely the most accessible and readable album Sakoto Fuji has released to date, a work of profound complexity that nonetheless serves as a perfect gateway into her compositional world. If you have yet to explore this remarkable artist, this album offers an ideal point of entry: a music that welcomes you in, where you can easily appreciate both Fuji’s intricate writing and the playing of her longtime collaborator, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura. Together, they demonstrate an extraordinary ability to push the boundaries of composition and performance alike.
Within Fuji’s universe of sound, one hears a contemporary vision of what classical music could and perhaps should be today, fused with elements of world music and a broad range of jazz influences. Some of you may remember that stunning 2022 work that brought together two of today’s most brilliant trumpeters, Wadada Leo Smith and Natsuki Tamura.
Sakoto Fuji has quietly established herself as one of the most important and influential composers of our time, consistently steering clear of easy formulas or complacency.
Her music also draws from the free jazz tradition and the hypnotic cycles of minimalism. Beyond the sheer volume of her releases, already impressive in itself, what truly astonishes is the unwavering quality of each project. Ahead of her time, Fuji is an inspired visionary, deeply attuned to the world’s moods: when the world thrives, she responds with her most radical works; when the world falters, she answers with delicate, profound poetry. Her music carries the listener from questioning, through fascination, into deep introspection. It is music that invites thought, that demands reflection.
This latest album moves between passages clouded by dense, profound writing and moments illuminated by more familiar, welcoming structures. The title, Message, is no accident: Fuji’s intent is clear, she addresses each of us personally, inviting us back toward beauty, intelligence, deep listening, and shared humanity. The result is a collection of gentler compositions than we are accustomed to from her, a music to be read, to be dreamt, to be listened to with heart and mind fully engaged. One only needs to let oneself be drawn into these pieces, to listen to them on repeat, and their truths will gradually reveal themselves.
Even the album cover, with its image of a tree, source of life, or perhaps a road leading to the Milky Way offers a perfect visual metaphor for the album’s contents. Performed in trio format, sometimes radical, sometimes tender, the music is enriched by the presence of percussionist Takashi Itani, whose African-inspired touch and profound musical sensitivity add immeasurably to the project’s success. Whether stepping back to let the melody breathe or anchoring the rhythm with delicate, precise, and devastatingly effective playing, Itani’s contribution is indispensable.
One of Sakoto Fuji’s greatest strengths has always been her ability to surround herself with musicians who understand her singular vision. And so, if you feel ready to take the leap into more complex musical territories, Message might just be the album that opens the door to entirely new horizons.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, April 28th 2025
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To buy this album (May 9)
Musicians:
Sakoto Fuji – piano
Natsuki Tamura – trumpet
Takashi Itani – percussion
Tracklist:
Message
Cryptography
Falafel Feast
Ernesto Never Mind
Grange Finker