Fumio Karashima “The Elysian Air”
“The Elysian Air”
(Video Arts) 2002
Fumio Karashima: Piano
Yosuke Inoue: Bass
Shingo Okudaira: Drums
Many piano trios try to come up with innovative tricks that just don’t work, but Fumio Karashima knows the real secret to piano trios--playing well. His recent CD “The Elysian Air” isn’t stuck too narrowly into technique, though. Instead Karashima, Inoue, and Okudaira take the piano trio vehicle in lovely, satisfying directions.
The first cut, “Open the Gate,” written by Karashima has a powerful, rolling set of chords reminiscent of McCoy Tyner’s full-fisted energy. The melody has heavy, crashing lines that bring out an aggressive response in all three. Track two, “Norwegian Wood,” pulls back into a lighter approach, with crisp, lyrical lines and delicate handling. Karashima’s original, “Tony Williams,” works interesting rhythmic patterns, in keeping with the title. The trio keeps the piece at a slower tempo, giving everyone time to work out their ideas. Karashima expands on the main theme in successive waves of interesting phrasing. He knows how to unfold a piece to reveal the hidden, inner harmonies and how to deliver a reflective, moody tone that still keeps the energy level high.
The last three standards, “Love For Sale,” “Darn That Dream,” and “Autumn Leaves,” are given thoughtful interpretations. The twelve minutes of “Love for Sale,” are pure pleasure. The trio sets up a bouncy, bluesy feeling, that lets them find more and more things to say each time they dig into their solos. “Darn That Dream” starts with a long intro by Karashima, then slips into a smooth, calm feel that is slower than most versions. The slowness feels just right, with interesting voicings and chordings by Karashima that show his technique without showing off. “Autumn Leaves” picks the pace back up with wonderful back-and-forth interactions mid-piece that reveal just how in sync the trio really is. The trio works together to bring Karashima’s playing to the center, but more than most trios, they have that practiced sense of knowing where the others are going.
The CD has a satisfying coherence from track to track, and a perfect ordering of tracks overall. Nothing is out of place. Rather than try to splash in some new element, a too-funky beat or exploratory disharmony, just to create a false sense of diversity, they have the artistic sense to not mess up a good thing.