Jay-Kohama-Ikeda Sextet “The East West Alliance” (CUG 2007)

Jay Thomas – trumpet, tenor sax

Atsushi Ikeda – alto sax

Yasuhiro Kohama – tenor sax

John Hansen – piano

Phil Sparks – bass

Daisuke Kurata - drums

From the first note, you get the sense that these guys are serious jazz craftsman. That might sound less than ideal, but rather it is just the opposite: the music here is perfectly crafted, a quality that is increasingly rare. The satisfaction of the music comes not just from their technique, togetherness and natural flow, but also from the straight-on blowing that goes beyond technique, played with an attitude that is clean and cool as a spring morning.

With plenty of originals, the band knows what it’s doing every note of the way. That kind of confidence lets you relax deep into the music and know you are in good hands. The first cut, “Dear Pop Jay” by Ikeda gets right to work. It rockets along marvelously, with everyone dropping into the taut rhythmic underpinning for really pretty solos.

“Goodbye, Zha Zha” by Thomas slows things down for a calm, catch-your-breath song that lets all the breath back out into lyrical calm. The following “In a Hurry” is full on fun blowing, with everyone taking a turn to let loose over a nimble rhythmic drive. Hansen on piano really digs in here and you can hear the interaction between bassist Sparks and drummer Kurata as a perfect union of east and west.

The slow careful control of “Bolero” shows just how masterful the band is on all the details. They know when to tighten up and when to loosen up. That’s what jazz is all about, this kind of beautiful variation of tensions, feelings and approaches. What amazes is that these guys are not playing together every week of the year, but only connect when some of them hop on a plane halfway across the globe!

The collaborative nature of the project is really pleasing as well. Their confident interaction, for example on the ballad “Star Eyes,” where everyone knows right where everyone else is going to be at any given moment, is what makes the music sound young, fresh and fully energized. They are giving their all on every tune, but without overdoing it, letting each of the others speak for themselves. “Try Out New Things,” by Ikeda, flows with a west coast cool from the late 50s, but with complex harmonies and a tight frontline that really pleases.

The kick back New Orleans groove of “I Do Hope,” handclaps and all, closes out the CD with a short, crowd-pleasing sense of fun, showing what really underlies this project, a pleasure in the music in and of and for itself.