"Evening Fragments" Lunatic Equinox
“Evening Fragments” Lunatic Equinox
(Airplane Label 2023)
Hiroshi Minami – piano 南 博（ピアノ）
Eiichi Hayashi – sax 林 栄一（サックス）
Daisuke Ijichi – bass 伊地知大輔（ベース）
“Evening Fragments” is drum-less trio jazz that really gleams. Without drums, the musicians come to the foreground, sharing and invigorating the musical space in intriguingly exquisite ways. Using their own inner rhythms, the overall sound becomes more textured reflection than a foot-tapping adventure, each song filled with measured beauty.
The trio starts out with an original, “Evening Fragments,” from Minami that delivers the sonic poetry that fills the CD. Minami knows just how to shade a chord under the Hayashi’s sax playing. Ijichi bumps it all up a notch with rightly placed bass—always unexpected, but always at just the right moment. The second tune, also by Minami, “Labyrinth,” continues the calm, deeply felt trio interplay. These three musicians feel so comfortable together, it’s a delight to lean back and let them explore at their own pace.
The cover of Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman” and the standard “For All We Know” are given unique treatments. By other musicians, Coleman’s well-known piece is often stretched to its limits, but here they move into the song and really work it over. It’s nice to hear music that feels like it could keep going much longer.
“For All We Know,” usually played at a singer’s tempo, is here delivered with lightness and lyricism. The bass doesn’t have to keep time, and neither does the left hand of Minami, so all three of the musicians work the song from their own point of view. It’s a delight to hear what they find. Hayashi’s playing is especially strong here. Like a painter, he has a strong sense of line, but doesn’t need to follow it too obediently. It’s the whispered suggestion of a melodic line that sounds best in his hands.
“Lost” and “Silence,” both by Minami, are perhaps the heart and guts of the CD. The two songs are played a measured pace that lets the sounds really sink in. There’s a wistfulness to all the songs, but especially to these two. “Lost” brings together Hayashi’s breathy sax lines, Minami’s full-fingered piano, and Ijichi’s resonant bass with just the right balance. “Silence” is anything but. Still, the held notes and lingering tones accent and frame the underlying silence to make even lusher textures.
If you’re looking for foot-tapping bop-like jazz, this is not the CD. It’s for a calm afternoon of calm reflection, when there’s time to really listen. The recording quality is high, so it’s easy to hear how comfortably the trio works together. The end of the CD seems to already lead to the next, which hopefully will come soon. Very highly recommended.
(May 2, 2023)