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Ryo Hashizume :: In a Stranger's Hand by Ron Sagye La Rue IN A STRANGER'S HAND is a quintet recording but the first composition by Tenor,soprano saxist Ryo Hashizume is a duet on soprano with guitarist Takumi Seino. Its somewhat pleasent but nothing is developed and they don't seem to be connecting musically.LOST STOLEN WORD will not last in your memory banks. 6:17 seconds of music but that's about all. FOLK SONG introduces the tenor sax,piano bass and drums,and gives you more a since of what the group is about. Starting off slowly but building gradually,pianist Takashi Kudo solo is basically chordal in approach and somewhat reminds this writer of John Coltrane's composition "Welcome". Drummer Scott Goulding tries to push the band they seem to be holding back. Bassist Jane Wang sounds like she wants to come through and does play some punching notes. Ryo's tenor has clarity but sounds a bit muffled in parts. The composition has a rising ,falling effect. THINGS TO BE Ryo states the whimsical melody pianist Kudo takes a bright awakening solo the most uplifting solo of the daate using full lenght of the keyboard with shading of the guitar. Goulding on drums supports ably Kudo's solo,not much else to say on the piece of music. Except this one would be a reason to get this CD. JUNE SMILES features a wonderful solo by bassist Wang executed fabulously,Ryo comes in with a tender feeling on tenor,guitarist Seino takes a nice solo as well,has a good concept and ideas but his sound doesn't fit the mood he creates. A 1970's Fusion soound with Jim Hall-type ideas. RAIN(At Nightfall) Is another piece the generates emotion that sustains a mood of excitement but again Seino's guitar sound spoils his ideas. THE SHOWER by bassist Wang is a duet soprano and piano sounds like something Thelonious Monk might compose. There is one more composition ZIPANG by Ryo that has the same that is in the same general type of compositions throughout the CD. This CD has its moments but I wish the bass was better recorded and Wang would've had more solo space being that this was a live date. published 14.05.2005© 2005 jazz news :: home page

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