Satoko Fujii and Tatsuya Yoshida are heavyweights in Japan but are both world-class vanguard musicians. ‘Baikamo’ is a welcome return to their summit meetings on the edge of what is possible with just a piano and drums.

Satoko Fujii doesn’t play an instrument in her orchestra; she conducts it. Still, there is hardly a more accurate manifestation of her genius artistry.

Turns out that Satoko Fujii’s rule-breaking orchestras can continue with their marvelously misbehaving ways even when someone else leads.

This completes a year-long celebration of Satoko Fujii’s 60th birthday with the same inventiveness, grace and genius shown throughout the entire series.

The word ‘Mahobin’ means ‘thermos bottle’ but also ‘magic bottle’ in Japanese, and the magic made for ‘Live at Big Apple in Kobe’ that retained its passion throughout meant that this fledgling group had lived up to both meanings of the name.

The Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin really comes onto its own with ‘Ninety-Nine Years.’

Satoko Fujii’s and Joe Fonda’s ‘Mizu’ shows the deepening musical communion between pianist and bassist, as this disc captures three of their co-composed pieces performed over two nights in Europe.

Satoko Fujii’s newest combo is This Is It! and their debut album ‘1538’ can’t get much closer to improvisational music perfection.

Satoko Fujii is issuing an album in every month of 2018, and if there’s one musician with enough ensembles, projects and ideas to pull it off, it’s her.

Here’s the part of the annual Best of 2017 lists that’s the most fun to pull together.