Review: Masahiko Satoh, Takeo Moriyama, Leon Brichard and ldris Rahman - Live At Café OTO (BBE Music)

The 'Live' jazz album has had quite a few detractors in the past, but 'Live At Café OTO' is the exception - no rules to prove for this quartet as it's an exceptional performance.

Not everyone is lucky enought to have a niche leftfield jazz cafe on their doorstep so for those that missed the quartet of Masahiko Satoh (pianist/composer), Takeo Moriyama (drums), Leon Brichard (bass) and Idris Rahman (sax) in trendy East London, this is 'THE' must have album this year.

You'll have spotted that the line-up included J-Jazz heavyweights Satoh and Moriyama; yes it's Moriyama - he of 'Live At Lovely's (see review HERE that's well include in the 'live' jazz album exception).

And when I say heavyweigh, we're talking Olympic standard as you'll need to roll with the punches of the first 10 minutes of 'Morning Snow' (these guys can certainly do it live with one take) which leads into a gentle as a snowflake second half: and this is just the first track!

'Ringo Oiwake' is not such an onslaught be Satoh and Moriyama work incredible well (or should that be 'free' in tandem.  Hardly surprising as they first performed free/modern jazz in Japan in the 60s.

'East Plants' features Idris who has been a leading light in the UK for decades himself from Ill Considered (with Brichard), The Soothsayers (and the Youthsayers pre-shoot) and (with his pianist sister Zoe) Jerry Dammers' Spatial A.K.A. Orchestra to name just three.

They all come together for a special version of Fumio Itabashi's 'Watarase' (with drum solo of course) and you can almost feel the atmosphere in the room on 'Other Worlds' (Rahman is magnificent).

The set ends as it sort of began with a group structured 'free' noise, 'Chiasma' that is reminiscent of the much missed Unsafe Festival of Improvised and Experimetal Music currated by Steve Harris (RIP) in Poole that was unfortuneately never recorded.

Café OTO is a frequent hang out of the best in the current UK jazz scene mix, such as another drummer Emanative (check out his latest album HERE) but at least this new album, Live At Café OTO, has captured such a truly magnificent gig for eternity. 

A must purchase and big thanks to Tony Higgins and Mike Peden who have championed the J-Jazz scene and don't forget their mush have book about all things J-Jazz (see review HERE) and don't forget there's another live album that's J-Jazz/Berlin, Aki Takase Trio's 'Song For Hope' (see review HERE) that was recorded in early 80s, where the renown pianist was joined by, you've guessed it, our man Takeo on drums.

Artist: Masahiko Satoh, Takeo Moriyama ft. Leon Brichard and ldris Rahman

Title:  Live At Café OTO

Release date: 6th September, 2024

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE737

Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Takeo Moriyama - Live at Lovely (BBE Music - J-Jazz Series)

There's been many great performances unearthed by the J-Jazz team of Tony 'Jazz Dad' Higgins and Mike Peden, but how they'd loved to have been at Lovely to have heard the Takeo Moriyama Quartet live in December of 1990.

And we know that because BBE have (re)issued what was once a Japan only CD release (1991) as the latest in the J-Jazz series as a special remastered double vinyl edition with translated sleeve notes and new sleeve notes by Tony.

The five tracks log in at just over an hour but what an explosive gig it was with Moriyama (d), Toshihiko Inoue (ts), Hideaki Mochizuki (b) and Fumio Itabashi (p); Itabashi composed all the tracks apart from the standard, 'Hush-A-Bye'.

Needless to say that all these guys can play.  Moriyama has had albums released where he's played with jazz names as varied as Mal Waldron, Takehiro Honda and Peter Brötzmann so there's nothing he can't do style wise.

Appropriately in the week of the longest day, the album opens with 'Sunrise' which put some extra power post-bop into your solar panels; it's heavier that a Stonehedge stone circle: Itabashi drops some Keith Jarrett as Inoue goes off planet with some modal spiritualism.  It's fantastic and it's somewhat of a relief after 14 minutes there is some gentle tones of 'Watarase' which was originally recorded on Moriyama's 1981 album 'Smile' (when he had two sax players) and turned up on a Jazzman Spiritual Jazz compilation a few years ago.   This live version is twice as long and like a Wayne Shorter in Japan lotus blossom.

But what can you say about the 20 minutes masterpiece that is 'Exchange'?  Moriyama's got an mixture of Art Blakey swing/Bill Ward villain/Kyoto Drum Ensemble with a touch of Chick Corea's 'Spain' thrown in, all on speed at a free-style jazzdance; it'd play it in the dance tent.

Even 'Hush-A-Bye' which I'd normally not bother with is given a deeper depth as there's an urgent swing going on for 10 minutes as they all take a bow.

This release which is somewhat encapsulated with the cover photograph; Takeo and drums that are half in light and half dark with a bit of a facial grimace on just before he's about to explode which is a bit like the track they finish off with, 'Good bye'.  And whilst we're never going to see December 1990 again, we can all party like it's 1991 with this massive re-issue.

NOTE: NO DIGITAL FORMAT BANDCAMP

Artist: Takeo Moriyama

Title: Contrast

Release date: 23rd June, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE671 LP  Order from Bandcamp