Yoko Kobayashi Trio Plus One

Live at Aketa no Mise
July 29, 2004

Yoko Kobayashi—piano
Katsumasa Kamimura--bass
Minoru Senkouji--drums
Ryojiro Furusawa—drums

The twin drums in Yoko Kobayashi’s “trio” are an unusual jazz combination. It is so close to a piano trio, yet so far, an innovation that upends the whole idea of the standard jazz piano trio format. More than just a clever idea, though, the “trio plus one” played lively, dynamic modern jazz. Even though half the group is percussion, the four musicians swung with a flowing, far-roaming lightness. That configuration works especially well on Kobayashi’s interesting compositions. Playing all originals, some of them still without finalized titles, her strong leadership kept the band’s strengths moving in the right direction.

With the two drummers, Kobayashi’s piano technique had an interesting full-fisted energy. The drums forced her to play stronger, with thick chords and an answering percussive touch. Her single-note lines, though, were not lost in the mix, but seemed to have extra buoyancy. The fullness and depth of her melody lines give room for everyone in the group to improvise, with a respect for the differences between them. Instead of flowing into a too-neat single unit, they push and pull against each other to create a fascinating tension.

The songs and arrangements kept an openness to them that accommodated the constant drumming fireworks. While most piano trios focus on harmony, or a lush interaction, this group has a brash, bold attack. The drums have a very different sound from each other. Minoru Senkouji’s Negi drum set was warm and luminous, while Ryojiro Furusawa’s Pearls had a sharp precision. Freed from time-keeping and even from the need to ground the beat, Katsumasa Kamimura could let his electric bass range up and down. His solos took off.

Still, this is Kobayashi’s group, and she gave herself long spaces to improvise. She used the full range of the keyboard, feeding off the other musicians well. At times, it was as if she was carrying on two conversations at a time, one with each drummer. She clearly knows her own compositions inside and out, and plays as interestingly on the beautiful melodies like “Love Song” as on the exuberant “Hard Work.” Hopefully, she will record this group and her new compositions soon. Until then, her “trio plus one” or “twin drum trio” or whatever it’s called is one of the most solid and interesting groups to hear live.