Toh-Kichi

by François Couture Let's just say that at the end of this unlikely meeting between pianist Satoko Fujii and drummer Tatsuya Yoshida (of the group Ruins) at the 2002 Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, fans of the latter were very happy, fans of the former very puzzled. A few months earlier Fujii had introduced her new quartet, which featured Yoshida (along with her husband, Natsuki Tamura, on trumpet and bassist Takeharu Hayakawa), but the group's debut album, Vulcan, as excellent as it is, doesn't prepare for the onslaught of Toh-Kichi. For this duo date -- a first -- pianist and drummer devised a set of compositions (new and old) and improvisations that takes the form of a classic Ruins concert: fast-paced, hyperactive, at times downright ludicrous. Case in point: The zipper fly solo in "Arabiondo," stupid and unashamed in a very entertaining way. Hearing the delicate and frail-looking Fujii vocalize with Yoshida in his invented language is a stunning (and one must admit, convincing) experience. The co-written pieces would fit snugly in a Ruins set list any day (with a special mention going to "Boragh Boragh"), but slipped into, say, one of Fujii's solo performances, would make no sense at all. Fujii comes through as a force to be reckoned with, her playing ferocious and heavy -- let's hope she gets more invitations from the rock realm. Tracks segue in pure Ruins fashion, the album providing a non-stop roller-coaster ride that leaves the listener exhausted after its 48 minutes. Fans of the pianist's trio recordings may find this album hard to swallow. That's why it gets a lower star ranking; please understand that doing so takes nothing away from Fujii's stellar playing or from the exciting exuberance of this session.