(Jazz, Fusion) Isao Suzuki - Blow Up 2 (XRCD) - 2004, FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

In nearly a century’s development, jazz music, an original American musical
form, has inspired musicians from every continent to infuse the genre with
constant supply of new materials. Therefore, it is no wonder that jazz has
become the predominant contemporary music type of many. Jazz is at its
most evocative to me when it chronicles the comradery and musical
exchanges between a band and its central figure, giving the main instrument
not only the complements and contrasts it needs, but also evoking a sense of
purpose and serenity.
Japanese musicians’ contribution to the jazz pool in their Eastern complexion
and sentiments is notable. Japanese jazz musicians, whose music I have
experienced since my teenage years, excelled at forging music that
communicated their inner minds, bringing you into their own world. For
contemporary talents like saxophonist Malta, trumpeter Tiger Okoshi, and
guitarist Takanaka, they are in their finest element when blazing new trails in
new compositions, and their finished products are oftentimes incredibly
refreshing even in repeated listening year after year.
Senior jazzmen from Japan, on the other hand, often chose to express
themselves through established classics, which establish themselves in turn
as a creative force of a formidable league.
To the prestigious elders in the Japanese jazz scene, I must now add Isao
Suzuki, in a much belated, recent musical encounter that took place 30 years
after Mr. Suzuki’s first Blow Up. Now 70 years old, Mr. Suzuki certainly
sounds not as impulsive and temperamental as younger players, if he had
ever been that way at all.
The instrument he plays in this CD is a “Viola de Gamba”. From the XRCD’s
liner notes:
“More noteworthy is Isao Suzuki who played the instrument called ‘Viola de
Gamba’ (used in the baroque period) not cello or piccolo base. The
instrument made Suzuki say, ‘After much trial and error, finally I met this
compelling instrument.’ He will excite audiences with ‘New Isao Suzuki’ for
years.”
The musician I heard was not only a master at the viola, he has a level of ease
and refined intuition that is unique even in the Eastern school.
What A Wonderful World, Cheek To Cheek
The evergreen classic is pondered upon in two full-length iterations, each
infused with irresistibly pungent flavors only seasoned musicians could
muster. “Cheek to cheek” is a tongue-in-cheek sound-bit sounding no less
ingenious, as if the piece was conjured up by guys getting together after lunch
to let their energy flow a bit before taking a nap.
Grand Canyon
“Grand Canyon” is a 6-minute demonstration of liberal jazz playing in the
hands of musicians in top form, as the gears are changed from a slow,
relaxing pace to an upbeat procession 3 minutes into the music. Musicians
with lesser confidence and skills would certainly sound more hesitant and
incoherent.
My Foolish Heart
Listen to “My foolish heart” and you’ll swear you’ve never heard a viola with
such sophistication of character. It is an utter treat to experience a viola-type
instrument sounding so expressive, be it of classical or jazz.
Senor Blues
And off the band goes again in “Senor Blues”, an eight-and-a-half-minute
excursion interspersed by dance-like segments in abrupt separations.
Sounding surprisingly effective in these gentlemen’s hands, this exercise
enticed the listener in a joint, continuous quest for their point of destination.
Incidentally, the drummer has a magical way of restarting the segments every
time other members of the band bring a segment to a finalizing stop. This
drummer’s artistry and creativity is just crazily abundant; I’ve never heard of a
drummer so powerful in his hold on the entire band with such gentle touches.
I've Never Been In Love Before
The way they reenact “I’ve never been in love before” is a showcase of what
jazz can do to a resounding classic. They begin this familiar piece to a slow
drive – only for the first minute or so, and then swing it all over the stage in
another episode of fun in their customary ease.
Nardis
“Nordis” is the fastest reiteration of this piece undoubtedly, and everyone in
the band has so much to say, that the entire ensemble literally goes into a
hypnotic cycle of emphasis and dialogues. And each time the track is over, I
am left with the incredible yearning for more of the dialogue-like exchanges.
Mysterious
Mr. Suzuki’s own “Mysterious” is a brilliant invention from years of distilled
sentiments and reflections. Another showcase of what a viola-type instrument
can communicate, each time his fingers traversed across the strings, Mr.
Suzuki emanates spectrums of sonic color that project directly into the
listening space. It is an utter marvel that a 70-year-old musician can make an
instrument sounding so unconventional.
Good Morning Heartache
We finally come to the last track, “Good morning Heartache”. Now, if you’ve
ever been heartbroken before, you will likely agree with Mr. Suzuki and his
friends on how to get on with your life as they see it.
Each track in this CD is rendered with expertly playing that comes through as
made by only the best in business. Whether you are familiar with them or not,
you’ll find the name of each track a perfect descriptive of the music therein.
But that’s just how amazing Mr. Suzuki and his friends are.
With each passing moment, you begin to echo what the entire ensemble is
doing in support of Mr. Suzuki’s imagination and improvisation, and you’ll
shake your head in disbelief of the supporting cast’s prowess, and you’ll
smile. Amidst the perpetuating piano and percussions, I could appreciate the
unity of the band and the wonder in each member. There is a continuous
exploration and insistence in the music playing, and if you listen with your
heart, you will hear it, too.
Each JVC’s XRCD24 gives me tremendous satisfaction repeatedly in the
tonal clarity, and the XRCD24 process allocates more dynamic breathing
room for the music consistently, making music sound more natural. In my
opinion, the fact that the 47 Lab PiTracer used in this review is the one CD
transport that never fails to liberate a world of timbres only proves the potential
these wondrous discs harness.
This disc is worth buying not only for its sonic gains, but also for the superiority
in its manufacture. Foremost, for the disc mastering and manufacturing
process, there is the Rubidium master clock, the most powerful time
measurement component ever conceived that is ten thousand times more
accurate than a standard crystal clock. Then, the proprietary master stamping
process recreates an XRCD equivalent of the original glass master, with such
remarkable adherence to pit depth and layer centering that induces the 47
Lab PiTracer to exhibit utterly stable reading motion during disc reading.
Non-XRCD discs, many of them from classic and major labels, would cause
the PiTracer to self-adjust extraneously to trace as many pits as possible.
Sonic advantages accorded by the XRCD are evident at various levels. An
XRCD played through the 47 Lab PiTracer and Audio Note DAC 5 Special
surpasses an SACD played through the Sony SCD-777ES SACD player; but
even the SCD-777ES sounded exemplary when playing an XRCD.