HARUNA FUKAZAWA

PLAYS AT THE WRONG TIME

Orange Paw Records

Haruna Fukazawa, flute/alto flute/composer/arranger; Steve Wilson, soprano saxophone/flute; David DeMotta, piano; Bill Moring, bass; Steve Johns, drums.

Composer and flautist, Haruna Fukazawa opens her album with an original tune, the album title, “Plays at the Wrong Time.”  I wondered immediately what the title of this album meant? Her publicist explains the artist as an improviser who brings her flute forward as a powerful voice with a clear sense of musical identity.  She is using timing as a personality, not a limitation.

Employing a small ensemble, Haruna Fukazawa wants her listening audience to recognize her flute as a complete jazz voice, fully engaged as its own strong instrument. Of course, that is not hard to imagine. I recognize the flute as the prominent star of the show, because we have such wonderful jazz flute players on the scene, like the great Hubert Laws, the dynamic, multi-talented Yusef Lateef and the popular, very commercial Herbie Mann.

Fukazawa began her musical career as a classical flautist before walking a path up the jazz road. One of her first interests in jazz was to master improvising. It led her to become a member of Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra. Lessons learned, she made history as the first Japanese musician to perform at the Trieste Summer Rock Festival that took place in Italy.  She also appeared in Buenos Aires as a guest improvising soloist with the Tango Orchestra of the National University of the Arts. Fukazawa also plays actively with the NFA Convention.

In 2019, Haruna Fukazawa, released her debut Summit Record with a quintet.

On this album, her arrangement of “When I Fall in Love” starts as a ballad, showing her softer, warmer side in a rubato setting. She harmonizes her flute with Steve Wilson.  Then, the tempo jumps around from ballad, to waltz, and back to 4/4 time, where a slow swing tempo surprisingly appears. When featuring David DeMotta on piano, the waltz groove returns. As Fukazawa reenters the picture, she dances along at a happy-go-lucky-pace, with the waltz left behind like a forgotten jacket on a park bench. Now I get the feel for the title of this album as the tempos fluctuate between 4/4 and 3/4 time. This old standard seems to unravel the true meaning of her strange album title, “Plays at the Wrong Time.”

An original called “Mellow Shadow” allows Bill Moring to set the pace and groove on his double bass. This tune invites me to the blues. Moring’s bass holds the piece together like super glue. I settle into the rich sounds of her alto flute expressions. Both DeMotta on piano and Wilson on his soprano sax sing impressive solos.

She tackles the Thelonious Monk tune called “Let’s Cool One” that features her own arrangement. In fact, these are all her arrangements. I enjoy Fukazawa’s harmonic choices. The ensemble slow-swings their way through this tune, trading fours with Steve Johns on drums.

Blue Mitchell’s “Fungii Mama” sounds like a New Orleans carnival celebration.  All in all, this album is a lovely celebration of Haruna Fukazawa, her flutes, her compositions, and her creative ideas.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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