Prolifically recording and performing for some five decades, Natsuki Tamura has made very few solo albums over that time. But literally months following only his fourth such record comes his fifth. For Summer Tree he ups the ante from 2021’s Koki Solo by overdubbing himself for the first time.
This was obviously a more involved process: Tamura laid down basic tracks and then layered on whatever felt right to him. In doing so, he greatly expanded the palette, creating texturally rich sonorities. Even with these extra sources of sound, this remains a spare and angular record. Tamura never succumbs to the temptation to slather too much on top, and the ‘less is more’ approach makes Summer Tree more interesting in what is left out as much as what is added.
On “Summer Tree,” Tamura’s signature note-less horn blasts go into a whole other sonic dimension when given the multi-tracked treatment, providing a chilling backdrop for his lonely, muted horn.
Tamura continues his imaginative use of kitchen implements, simulating the sound of an alarm going off throughout “Summer Color” (stream above), and in front of this chiming resonance are snarling trumpets and the low, low end of piano. It’s not any one of these things but the odd combination that makes this piece so fascinating; Tamura just knows what goes together.
The remaining pair of pieces are pure improvs. Tamura’s non-pianist piano style again serves him well to create unique resonances as it does on “Summer Wind.” But an even rarer sound is that of Satoko Fujii’s voice, used non-verbally with squeals, barks and yelps to add spice — along with Tamura’s right-handed side excursions — to the otherwise droning pall. “Summer Dream” is a drone of a different sort, coming from impossibly low timbres coming from Tamura’s trumpet. That provides the backdrop his muted trumpet making thoughtful phrases that uses the silences in between as its own instrument.
When left entirely to his own devices (literally), Natsuki Tamura’s imagination runs wild. With Summer Tree, he gave himself more places for his imagination to run, thanks to multi-tracking.
Summer Tree will drop on February 11, 2022 and comes to us courtesy of Libra Records.
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