Label: OA2 Records, 2026
Personnel - Carl Clements: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Jason Ennis: guitars; Fumi Tomita: bass; Gary Fieldman: drums.
On his fifth release as a leader, New York-born Asian-American bassist and composer Fumi Tomita offers nine compositions centered on the theme of yokai and the Japanese supernatural. With an open, eclectic approach, Tomita shapes his modern jazz with several folkloric Japanese artworks, represented as woodblock prints, in mind.
He and his supple quartet, with saxophonist Carl Clements, guitarist Jason Ennis, and drummer Gary Fieldman, create an atmosphere of wondrous excitement on “Daija (Monster Snake)”. This majestic opener is cemented with a darting groove at the bottom and a progressive-leaning attack that reflects in each soloist’s playing.
Both “Kitsune (The Fox)” and “Kiyomori” unfold in a quintuple meter. The former hides a certain mystery within the harmonic guards put up by Ennis, with Tomita in charge of the main melody and Fieldman brushing the kit in a glowing way, while the latter is buoyed by persuasive soprano sax and dramatic peaks over urgent harmonic punctuation.
Showcasing a more typical jazz sound, “Betobetosan” swings like a feel-good Art Blakey tune, having Clements bringing a blast of vigor to the fore while riding lilting post-bop waves. In the same vein, “Raiju (Thunder Beast)” features Tomita in a rich solo emphasizing triplets before embarking on four-bar exchanges with Fieldman.
Ennis’ pristine acoustic guitar radically changes tone and texture on both “Amabiko (Sea Lad)”, where a soaring flute gives it a rounded smoothness akin to a bossa nova tune, and “Okiku”, a fable of lyrical, waltzing poignancy. The quartet brings the session to a close with “Hyakki Yagyo (Night Parade of 100 Demons)”, a piece in seven with enough flights of fancy to keep us amused.
This unique, conceptual work, plotted with several stylistic changes along the way, still connects the dots of each composition, accentuating empathy and energy. Tomita has the ability to shift musical gears while employing slippery rhythmic undercurrents and narrative pulse. There is more under the hood of Yokai! than it lets on.
Favorite Tracks:
01 - Daija ► 02 - Kitsune ► 03 - Betobetosan ► 06 - Amabiko