Ya!3 "Loco" (ewe) 2002

Daiki Yasukagawa--Bass
Makoto Nakamura--Piano
Daisuke Yoshioka--Drums

The first song on Ya!3’s new release starts with Yasukagawa’s  smooth arco bass holding together a lovely melody line that stretches widely, then snaps back into a swaying, loose approach that they follow through the rest of the tunes. This trio, though, also adds intensity to its love of beautiful melodies and relaxed attitudes. They have a sophistication beyond the years of the rather young members, and their playing is intense, swinging and lyrical. On later tunes, they rocket along with a powerful momentum that is as exciting as it is dizzying. The trio records with all three instruments given equal foregrounding. There is no sense of the group as a vehicle to promote only one player, instead, they move together. The stolid, pretty compositions come from all of the players, but mostly from Yasukagawa. This trio deserves careful listening and rewards it.