Koichi Yabori “Elevation”

(Zizo Records) 2001

Koichi Yabori 矢堀孝一 —guitar
Jiro Okada 岡田治郎 — bass
Hideo Yamaki 山木秀夫 — drums

Yabori plays acoustic and electric guitars with a great attention to sonic textures atop bass and drums. He utilizes the potential of amps and electronics for settings that complement his flawless technique. The trio play together regularly and have clearly developed a tight, fluid interaction. While one member solos, the others jump in to help direct the flow, rather than staying in the background. Yabori penned seven of the ten tunes with modal-based melodies and chord changes. The CD has a moody, late-night feeling to it that slows purposefully on occasion. Even though this release is the most recent of a series of six since 1997, Yabori and friends show no sign of running out of ideas.