Sunaga t Experience - Jazz et Jazz (2009)

It's been three years since DJ/producer Tatsuo Sunaga's last outing with his Sunaga t Experience project, and JAZZ et JAZZ sees him returning with a strong and varied album. With almost thirty musicians from different corners of the globe playing on the dozen tracks, it's a varied patchwork quilt of an album stitched together by Sunaga at the production desk.

The chilly Autumn Frost opens proceedings, the first of a couple of collaborations with Maki Mannami. You can almost see the vapour in the cold air as Arlie sings over the sparse electronic backing with some melancholic trumpet work from Sebsatien Studnitzky. This somewhat introspective and blue mood is maintained for Lillian Mode, which features the piano talents of Akiko Grace, but then the tempo picks up with a cover of Horace Silver's The St Vitus Dance, featuring Sofia Finnila on vocals, a nice modern piece of hard bop arranged by piaist Shota Hishiyama, who along with Maki Mannami, is one of Tatsuo Sunaga's main collaborators on this project.

At first listen, you would be forgiven for assuming that Brighter Bossa is a Schema Records release as it has all the hallmarks of the Italian scene. Then again that's because this Hishiyama composition was actually recorded at the Lo Greco Studio with many of the musicians who play on the Schema titles, and it is the equal of any of the top tunes produced by that label.

Sketches of TY sees a return to the wintry futuristic soundscapes of Maki Mannami, again featuring some exquisite trumpet from Sebastien Studnitzky, and this is followed by the mid-tempo jazz dancer On The Corner Where You. Led by the piano of Hishiyama and some trombone from Satoshi Sano, this track is an uplifting Latin-tinged jazz number that again is reminiscent of the Schema sound, and leads nicely into A Kite, the top track on offer here. Jukka Eskola and Timo Lassy guest on what is an infectious dance number that deserves plenty of exposure.

Gold 'n' Silver has a carefree, reggae lilt to it with Likkle Mai singing over a catchy flute riff that stays with you, and is possibly the most uplifting track on the album, and like A Kite, should be heard by as wide an audience as possible.

The mood is more introspective for Hats Off To Luciano Berio, another strong tune featuring Shinpei Ruike on flugelhorn, that feels like a closing theme, despite the fact that it's not quite the final track.

Often albums that have so many guests can end up sounding somewhat bitty, but despite the large number of people contributing and the varied musical styles on show, JAZZ et JAZZ works remarkably well as an album, and contains a couple of songs that are string enough to be featured in end of year lists. Definitely worth checking out.