Daisuke Takeuchi Trio “Voyaging” (Fauvisme, SCM 2015)

Daisuke Takeuchi竹内大輔—piano
Nobuo Ikeda—bass
Toshiyuki Sasaki—drums

 “Voyaging” is a marvelous piano trio recording that is aptly named. Not only are the titles taken from European places, artworks and experiences, but the sounds themselves are like a travel journey of melodies, rhythms, impressions and feelings. The lush, lyrical sound veers from European art movie soundtrack (“The Outside Yellow Lamp”) to tight post-bop (“Late Sunrise”) to brushes with Erik Satie (“Montmartre’s Café”).

The songs capture the excitement of being overseas as on the opener “Overseas,” with lithe melodies and brisk tempos. The feelings of being in a strange place, with impressions pressing in powerfully, are conveyed thoughtfully and artistically. That subject matter is a welcome change from more American standards. The CD conveys the power of an artist confronting new experiences and using them to create.

Takeuchi is a nimble, energetic and earnest player. He does stately and elegant, as on “The Night Visitor” just as well as upbeat and insistent, “Less is More.” Many of the tunes are influenced by European structures, so much that the line between improvisation and composition blurs beautifully and the listener can choose freely to focus on either the containment of impressions or the exploration of environment.

The recording level of the CD also enhances the impressions. On a tune like “La Grande Roue de la Concorde,” the clear recording of the tensile slap of the bass strings and the tink and whap of the drum gives a heightened feel to the exuberance and energy of the song. Both Ikeda on bass and Sasaki on drums are more than able sidemen lending support. They are along for the full voyage with Takeuchi for the whole trip.

Fans of piano trios should be sure to include this in their collections. This is an easy recording to like, filled with one artist’s impressions of Europe packed into great compositions with stellar playing.

http://pftakeuchi.blog-fps.com

August 26, 2015