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A Letter From Slowboat ~ Ryo Fukui | By Eddie Carter

My nephew Kyle introduced me to this morning’s album by Ryo Fukui. A Letter From Slowboat (Sapporo Jazz Create SJC-1501) was initially released as a CD album in 2015. It was his final release and recorded with no audience on January 25 and 26 at the Sapporo Jazz Club that he owned with his wife, Yasuko. Ryo Fukui was born in Biratori, Hokkaido, Japan and at eighteen, learned the accordion. Four years later, he taught himself the piano and moved to Tokyo in 1970. His first album, Scenery, was released in 1976, and as his skills improved, he often performed at Shinjuku Pit Inn in Kichijōji and Jazz Inn Lovely in Nagoya. Takumi Awaya on bass and Ittetsu Takemura on drums complete the trio. My copy is the 2020 We Release Jazz Switzerland Stereo audiophile reissue (WRJ008LTD).

The album opener, Sonoro by Ryo Fukui, swings at a lively pace, beginning with the trio’s introduction ahead of their melody. Ryo takes the lead and stretches out on a cheerfully bright opening statement. Takumi takes over and walks effectively in the second reading. Ryo shares the final conversation with Ittetsu, preceding the theme’s restatement and lovely ending. Stella By Starlight, by Victor Young and Ned Washington, starts with a beautiful solo introduction by Fukui until his colleagues join him for the opening chorus. Ryo is the song’s only soloist, and he delivers an elegantly tender interpretation before the song’s gentle climax.

The tempo moves upward for Speak Low by Kurt Weill and Ogden Dash, opening at a fast clip with the trio’s brisk introduction and speedy theme. Ryo launches the first solo, exhibiting great energy, followed by the vigorous workout Ittetsu gives his drums ahead of the quick closing chorus and ending. Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen is an African American spiritual song from the 1800s. Their rendition opens with a gorgeous piano introduction that blossoms into a bluesy theme. Fukui stirs the soul with a tasteful interpretation. Awaya and Takemura compliment the pianist with their support into the elegant reprise and close.

Side Two starts with the trio’s visit to the Old Country by Nat Adderley and Curtis Lewis. It gets underway with a mid-tempo stroll through the melody. Ryo speaks prominently in the opening statement, and then Takumi builds the next reading efficiently. Ittetsu gets down to business last, until the group says goodbye in their closing chorus. Soultrane by Tadd Dameron is a pretty song that Fukui begins with a gentle introduction leading to a softly subdued melody. Ryo’s opening statement possesses all the warmth and feeling that one could ask for. Awaya answers with a response of haunting beauty in Fukui’s return for a tranquil finale.

Chasin’ The Bird by Charlie Parker is a lively tune with an irresistible groove as the melody unfolds. Ryo leads the way with an excellent interpretation. Takumi has a lot to say in the following reading. The pianist then blends beautifully with Ittetsu in an exchange of closing remarks before the theme resurfaces. Be My Love by Nicholas Brodszky and Sammy Cahn brings the album to a close with a showcase for one of Fukui’s prettiest performances. As the song’s only soloist, he provides an exquisite presentation that shows off his lyrical side, shadowed by Awaya and Takemura, leading to the lovely ending.

Masato Komatsu produced the original session of A Letter From Slowboat. It is unknown who recorded the original session, but Stephen Armleder and Oliver Ducret supervised this half-speed mastered audiophile reissue. The sound quality on this limited edition album is excellent with an impressive soundstage that’s very detailed. The record is pressed on one hundred eighty grams of audiophile vinyl and is quiet until the music starts. The front and rear cover is printed on three hundred fifty GSM (grams per square meter) of heavy card stock that despite not being a glossy cover, is still quite sturdy.

Ryo Fukui’s professional career lasted forty years, and, in that time, he only recorded five albums, but he did travel to and perform live in America and France. Fukui also taught jazz piano to students internationally. In 1995, Ryo opened the Slowboat Jazz Club with his wife and hosted local and international jazz musicians. He passed away on March 15, 2016, at age sixty-seven. After his death, Yasuko took over the day-to-day operations of the club, and it’s still going strong with live jazz daily. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to A Letter From Slowboat by Ryo Fukui. If you’re a fan of jazz piano, it’s a great discovery that I recommend you check out for a spot in your library!

~ Scenery (Nadja PA-7148) – Source: Discogs.com ~ Speak Low, Stella By Starlight – Source: JazzStandards.com ~ Be My Love, Chasin’ The Bird, Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen, Old Country, Ryo Fukui – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2024 by Edward Thomas Carter

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