AKIRA SAKATA — Harpacticoida / Akira Sakata ‎: La Mer (review)

AKIRA SAKATA — Harpacticoida / Akira Sakata ‎: La Mer album cover Album · 1998 · Jazz Related Soundtracks Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
snobb
A leading Japanese avant-garde jazz sax player has formally graduated as a marine biologist. "La Mer" is his most unorthodox album, containing Sakata's compositions, recorded for the video program ”The Universe of Mijinko (Water Flea)”. Besides being a soundtrack composer, Akira plays reeds himself with the Harpacticoida trio ("Harpacticoida" is a planktonic or benthic water creature), consisting of Indonesian-Japanese pianist Febian Resa Pane, acoustic bassist Hiroshi Yoshino, and marimba player Kumiko Takara.

The album's music is opposite to almost everything we heard from Sakata on his regular albums. The compositions on "La Mer" are low-tempo, dreamy and soulful. Sakata plays many clarinet and alto solos, almost improvisation-less straight tunes. No trace of his regular harsh sound and screaming free sax can be found here. Febian Resa Pane plays almost chamber piano, and the whole music varies from soulful pop-jazz to almost ambient new age, scented with Japanese folk elements.

The original soundtrack material is completed with "Ballad For Taco (Octpus)" - a melancholic ballad with Sakata soprano sax soloing, it sounds a bit closer to his more regular material.

Originally a self-released edition in 2000, it has been reissued in Germany in 2002 by major label Enja and isn't a rarity anymore. Still, this album will hardly attract Sakata's explosive free-jazz fans and can be interesting mostly for his hot followers/researchers and collectors.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Sunset Park Post Bop
TOBIAS MEINHART
Buy this album from MMA partners
Rudi Mahall, Florian Stoffner, Michael Griener : Die Exorzistin Avant-Garde Jazz
RUDI MAHALL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ernesto Rodrigues, Nuno Torres & Guilherme Rodrigues : Whispers in the Moonlight - In seven movements Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ERNESTO RODRIGUES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ernesto Rodrigues, Carlos Santos & Miguel Mira : The knowledge that our time is limited can inspire us Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ERNESTO RODRIGUES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Carlos Zíngaro, Carlos Bechegas, Ernesto Rodrigues : Spleen Jazz Related Improv/Composition
CARLOS ZINGARO
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 23 hours ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed