Satoko Fujii & Carla Kihlstedt

Japanese pianist/composer Satoko Fujii blends jazz, contemporary-classical music, and traditional Japanese folk music into an innovative synthesis instantly recognizable as hers alone. As an improviser, Fujii’s explosive free-jazz energy mingles with delicate melodicism to create a broad palette of timbre and textures. She’s often been compared to Cecil Taylor, Keith Jarrett, and Marilyn Crispell for her astounding technique. Satoko’s considerable range has been captured on 40 CDs, including a dramatic duo recording called Minamo (Henceforth) with violinist Carla Kihlstedt. The San Diego Union-Tribune calls it “a series of high-wire improvisational duets that are risky, aesthetically challenging and frequently exhilarating.” Carla Kihlstedt is an influential musical voice in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a rigorous background in classical music, she has since explored the range of her instrument in many settings, always pushing the edges of what the violin can do. She was a founding member of the Tin Hat Trio and currently works with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and 2 Foot Yard. She’s also performed with John Zorn, Tom Waits, Rova Saxophone Quartet, and the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra. Her CD 2 Foot Yard (Tzadik) is a creative compendium of genre-breaking instrumentals and vocal miniatures.