Japanese jazz pianist and composer Satoko Fujii releases her latest large-ensemble album, Korekara, performed by the Satoko Fujii Orchestra Nagoya, according to updates from Libra Records and CDJapan. Released as the fourth of five orchestral albums she is releasing in 2026, the four-part suite serves as an affectionate tribute commissioned for the 20th anniversary of Rojiura no Matahari, a music-friendly café and restaurant in Nagoya.
The Origins of Korekara and Orchestra Nagoya
The collaboration stems from a long-standing relationship between Fujii and the venue’s operators, alto saxophonist Shingo Takeda and his wife, Ririko Mio, who previously ran a small café near the Nagoya station that frequently hosted Fujii and Natsuki Tamura. The couple eventually relocated the establishment to a neighborhood rich in vinyl record stores and restaurants, prompting a request for an anniversary composition.
Fujii debuted the resulting music during a July 2021 performance under strict pandemic conditions, choosing the title Korekara—which translates to “from now”—to signal a forward-looking perspective. “I wanted to compose for their future, not for the past,” Fujii stated. The album features a 16-member ensemble comprising Shingo Takeda and Ryoko Ono on alto saxophone, Takuya Matsumoto and Yoshiyuki Hirao on tenor saxophone, Daion Kobayashi on baritone saxophone, Natsuki Tamura, Tsutomu Watanabe, Takahiro Tsujita, and Misaki Ishiwata on trumpet, Toshinori Terukina, Tatsuki Nakamura, and Toshihiro Furuike on trombone, Yasuhiro Usui on guitar, Toru Kasai on bass, and Hisamine Kondo on drums, with Fujii conducting and composing.
Musical Structure and Sonic Architecture
The four-part suite blends written composition with free improvisation, establishing what reviewers characterize as a cinematic and postmodern classical atmosphere. In “Korekara Part 1,” the ensemble opens with chaotic, overlapping brass blasts before Toru Kasai’s woody bassline anchors a meandering march. “Korekara Part 2” features distinct vocalizations and extended techniques from Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, producing dense, bickering textures across the horn section.
The third movement, “Korekara Part 3,” shifts focus to guitarist Yasuhiro Usui, whose fractured picking and fuzz-tone rock textures cut through sparse percussion and sudden brass eruptions. The final movement concludes the suite with a cyclical progression of plaintive trumpet melodies, competing trombone lines, and a driving rock-funk rhythm that invokes celebratory brass-band traditions.
Album Availability and Distribution
Libra Records manages the physical release of the album, with orders currently processed through CDJapan. The release represents the fourth installment in Fujii’s large-ensemble series, following earlier configurations including her Berlin orchestra and multi-city Japanese suites.
