In that time that Youtube took from me, I could have written the next great American novel, traveled the world, started a family, but all is forgiven. The site is a time sink that has drained years of my life away as I’ve clicked from recommended video to recommended video. Looking back at the lovely scenery, it's hard to disagree.The number of hours I’ve wasted surfing through Youtube is uncountable. Upon its release, it received massive praise and deeply influenced Japan’s music: to this day, people cite it as an undeniable game changer. Ryo’s decision to acknowledge what's already done and build on top of the shoulders of giants only took the quality of Japanese music to a level never seen before. Scenery marks the evolution of Jap-Jazz from experimentalism to a fully fleshed-out form of expression. Clearly, all musicians shine, but the pianist’s unmistakable playing steals the show. This is clearly seen by the fantastic drum solo later in the aforementioned song and on “Autumn Leaves.” Towards the last third of the latter, every instrument lays back to make way to an exquisite bass driven section. However, he somehow leaves room for his group to show off as well. A perfect example is “Early Summer,” in which Ryo crafts beautiful melodies and soon plays one of the greatest piano solos in all of jazz. On Scenery, the piano directed the band’s harmonic focus as it also added a cool, vocal-esque layer on top. His unbelievable playing displays dexterity and skill but also exhibits melodic and rhythmic awareness. Their sound is so full, they may not even strike the listener as a three piece group initially.Įven though Ryo prioritizes composition, he still manages to show his virtuosity.
This leads to a very pleasing sound in which the trio perfectly complements each other. All notes seem relevant, and decisions feel like they are taken purposefully. Every section flows seamlessly into one another whilst providing tasteful and rich musicality. The six song album continuously proves that Ryo is the complete master at his craft. He borrowed elements of post-bop, cool jazz, and even blues to create something unique, something unheard of before: a jazz album that prioritized composition rather than improvisation. While other artists were busy getting to know the textures of music, self-taught pianist Ryo, accompanied by a drummer and a bass player, decided to give his own spin on American jazz.
#SCENERY FUKUI HOW TO#
The problem with the newborn experimental style of music at the time, however, was that it didn't show how to truly embrace jazz as an art form.īecause of Jap-Jazz’s confused identity, one the genre’s most important albums was Ryo Fukui’s Scenery. As a matter of fact, he and a few others started the now-signature avant-garde Japanese movement, which would explain why so much experimental music comes out of the country. Artists like Miles Davis were already pushing the sound of fusion in the early 70s while Magical Power Mako started doing so later in the decade with a more dissonant, bare style. The main difference was Jap-Jazz wasn't as developed as American jazz. After a few decades, it evolved like it did in the West with slight differences. The genre arrived to the nation due to WWII when American forces stationed in Japan brought and introduced said music from overseas. Japanese jazz, casually known as Jap-Jazz, has had a very interesting history. Review Summary: Oh, how lovely is the scenery.
0 kommentar(er)
