Category: Review

Jason Serinus reviews Antonio Lysy’s South America

Posted on by

Jason Serinus reviews Antonio Lysy’s South America in the April 2018 edition of Stereophile. One unifying factor is the Boulanger-trained Argentinean composer Piazzolla, whose infrequently performed Resurrección del ángel (Resurrection of the Angel), surfaces in an arrangement for four cellos by Emilio Colón. The work is heard in an ingenuous multi-track version on which, thanks to Arian Jansen’s all-analog Sonorus Holographic Imaging technology (SHI), Lysy plays all the parts. Please view Jason’s full article.

Chris Spector of Midwest Record reviews Yuko Mabuchi

Posted on by

CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher, MIDWEST RECORD, reviews Yuko Mabuchi November 3, 2017 New to our shores from her native Japan, this piano gal speaks perfect American jazz with her finger tips leading the way. The accent here is on the playing so while the set card may be quite familiar, the execution is a totally new experience. Leading with the classic jazz piano trio vibe, Mabuchi adds enough of her own special sauce for you to experience why the producer offered to record her the day after he first heard her. Delightfully smashing stuff that turns your rec room into your fave club, this is a timely set to chase the winter away with.

Scott Yanow appreciates Yuko Mabuchi Trio in LA Jazz Scene, April 2018

Posted on by

A young pianist who was born and raised in Japan and recently moved to the Los Angeles area, Yuko Mabuchi had extensive training in classical music. However she loved the music of Herbie Hancock and Oscar Peterson and listened to all types of music while growing up, choosing to play jazz instead of classical. Her recent CD for the Yarlung label has her accompanied by bassist Del Atkins and drummer Bobby Breton and is her finest recording so far. The wide-ranging but swinging set features the pianist stretching out on “What Is This Thing Called Love,” “On Green Dolphin Street,” “St. Thomas” and a medley of “All The Things You Are,” “Take The ‘A’ Train” and Satin Doll.” In addition, the pianist performs the classical-oriented “Valse Noire,” the funky “Seriously” her tender “Sona’s Song,” and a “Japanese Medley” comprised of three songs. Yuko Mabuchi occasionally lets loose with stunning runs, showing Continue Reading →

Jessica Duchen’s Classical Music Blog : Antonio Lysy

Posted on by

Reading Jessica Duchen’s Classical Music Blog today is a treat because she publishes an essay by cellist Antonio Lysy which is a tribute to his father, Alberto Lysy (1935-2009). In her post, Duchen talks about Antonio’s recent recording on Yarlung Records: Back in 2001 Alberto and Antonio recorded the Kodály Duo for violin and cello together. This recording was released for the first time just a few weeks ago. Hungarian as Kodály may be, the album is in fact called South America and features works by Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos, Coco Trivisonno and more – paying tributes to Antonio’s multifarious background and influences. The South American repertoire is irresistibly seductive and atmospheric, while the Kodály, performed with tremendous intensity, bravura and sensitivity, is more than a treat and a half. In this guest post, Antonio tells us about the coaching his father received from Yehudi Menuhin and Zoltan Kodály himself. Read Dunchen’s blog and Lysy’s Continue Reading →

Jorge Capadocia reviews “Yuko Mabuchi Trio” for NativeDSD

Posted on by

Yuko Mabuchi Trio: Some Standards and some nice surprises This live recording starts with What Is This Thing Called Love and Yuko’s playing, along with Bobby’s drum solo, immediately engages the audience. Throughout the album, Yuko is very sensitive and lyrical in her playing and does not go for bombast unless the music demands. When it does though, like in Sona’s Song (a composition of her own), we are in for a real treat: a very intense outburst erupts, breaking a simple delicate melody. Del Atkins and Bobby Breton are supportive in their playing, with… well executed solos. The musical rapport among them is evident in Seriously, in which the ornamented piano playing is executed over a repetitive and rhythmic bass – roles are switched for a moment and the transitions sound very fluid. Other highlights include a Japanese medley that goes from delicate to psychedelic (!) to spirited, and Continue Reading →

Michael Lavorgna writes glowingly about Yuko Mabuchi Trio in AudioStream

Posted on by

Audio Stream’s Michael Lavorgna waxes poetic about Yuko Mabuchi and her trio (December, 2017) However, there is one recent release which is so good in terms of the music, musicianship and sound quality that it deserves a mention on its own… …namely the Yuko Mabuchi Trio recording from Yarlung Records. In the liner notes, Ms. Mabuchi notes that she is a fan of two of my favorite jazz pianists, Oscar Peterson and Monty Alexander, and it shows both in terms of her playing and how she presents the material. Only Monty could pull off making “Feelings” into compelling piece or turn “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” into a stomping jazz swing piece. Ms. Mabuchi does the same thing with my favorite piece here, a fantastic re-imagining of Sara Bareilles’ “Seriously” into a reggae flavored soulful affair. Read more at about the Yuko Mabuchi Trio at AudioStream.

Luxuriating: The Yuko Mabuchi Trio (2017)

Posted on by

…Yuko Mabuchi takes command of both her instrument and the listener’s ears from the first stroke of the album’s opener, Cole Porter mainstay, “What Is This Thing Called Love” and through all eight live-recorded masterpiece tracks.  Produced by Randy Bellous… the live album is a must-own for piano trio aficionados and jazz lovers of all stripes. A tremendous highlight of the album is… “On Green Dolphin Street.”  Pitched in Bill Evans’ preferred key of E-flat…. Dave Brubeck himself would have applauded the tight interplay of time between one half of the head, presented in a heavy ¾ that alternates sweetly with the straight ‘four-on-the-floor’ 4/4 of the next four bars of the same phrase….  Mabuchi, delicious bassist Del Atkins, and tasty drummer Bobby Breton make it new all over again…. Mabuchi’s right hand is the star of each of her solo flights.  Clean, precise, and crisp like forebears Teddy Wilson, Continue Reading →

Yuko Mabuchi Trio Review on Musicalmemoirs Blog

Posted on by

The following review of the Yuko Mabuchi Trio is from the blog “Musicalmemoirs Blog” written by Dee Dee McNeil. YUKO MABUCHI TRIO Yarlung Records Yuko Mabuchi, piano; Del Atkins, bass; Bobby Breton, drums This live recording is an awe-inspiring work of art. Pianist Yuko Mabuchi is as exciting on recording as she is in person. Here is a production that sparkles with improvisational creativity, energy, and the piano talents of a young and developing super star. Yarlung’s founder first heard the Yuko Mabuchi Trio at Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood. The very next day he offered to record their album. This concert was recorded at the USC campus  in Cammilleri Hall. This space is used for master-classes and recitals. It’s the same concert venue designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, where Yarlung previously recorded Sophisticated Lady Jazz Quartet in 2014. Jazz pianist and educator, Billy Mitchell, served as associate producer on this Continue Reading →

Read Jeff Wilson’s review of Yuko Mabuchi Trio in The Absolute Sound

Posted on by

If the eponymous debut album by the Yuko Mabuchi Trio can be seen as a coming out party, it’s hard to imagine the musicians squeezing anything more out of the event. The nearly hour-long set includes some well-known jazz standards, including a gorgeous On Green Dolphin Street and an exuberant romp through Sonny Rollins’ St. Thomas. During a solo piano medley, Mabuchi’s reconstruction of Take the “A” Train displays a fertile imagination and a confident left hand. A sly reading of Sara Bareilles’ Seriously shows Mabuchi’s ability to spot a pop song that translates nicely into the jazz idiom. Her interpretive skills also surface on a composition by TAS music reviewer Mark Lehman, Waltz Noir; here the trio uses a classical composition as a launch pad for some highly evocative noir jazz. If Mabuchi’s playing can be described as tasteful, economical, and lyrical, it should also be noted that her Continue Reading →