Fujiwara, Tomas & The Hook Up / Actionspeak
Album: Actionspeak   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Fujiwara, Tomas & The Hook Up   Added:Oct 2010
Label:482 Music  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2011-02-06 Pull Date: 2011-04-10 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Apr 3 Mar 27 Mar 20 Mar 13 Mar 6 Feb 27 Feb 20 Feb 13
Airplays: 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 1

Recent Airplay
1. Jul 11, 2022: Rebop
Soundtrack To Romance
4. Jan 23, 2015: Rebop
Soundtrack To Romance, Opal
2. Nov 20, 2015: Rebop
Questions
5. Sep 26, 2014: Rebop
The Hunt
3. Apr 10, 2015: Rebop
Soundtrack To Romance
6. Jul 04, 2013: Rebop
The Hunt

Album Review
Be Sharp
Reviewed 2011-01-30
This is the debut album as a leader by drummer and composer Tomas Fujiwara. His quintet includes trumpet, tenor sax, bass, and the terrific Mary Halverson on electric guitar. They’ve been getting some nice notices on jazz sites & in the NY Times. The playing here is strong, and the music is interesting and entertaining throughout.

Play anything; it’s all good. Try 1 & 3 if you like experimental; 4 & 7 for a jazz-rock challenge; 5 for pretty; 6 for something more traditionally “jazzy.” No FCC issues.

1. ** Dissonant guitar starts things over mainstream bass and drums. The tenor sax and trumpet enter in chorus. Everyone gets along nicely, playing some crazy sounds. It all ends when the sax asks a question. Awesome. (9:02)
2. Starts up-tempo & swinging, but at 3:40 it slows way down for a melancholy (and not entirely successful) guitar solo, then there's a similar trumpet solo. It ends in a sad, downer mood. (6:10)
3. The tenor starts things alone, looking for something. A bowed bass answers. They go looking together, but can’t find a melody. The trumpet tries to lead, cautiously at first; he builds up his courage as he goes. We never get out of the wilderness, and the sax resignedly ends it. (9:14)
4. Trumpet opens this one slowly. It gradually grows both in volume and tempo, into a free-jazz fest. Everybody does their own thing. Mary channels Zappa. It all works out. (4:54)
5. The only real ballad. Tenor opens with a pretty melody; trumpet replies. Repeat. Repeat. Build carefully. Tomas plays very softly with brushes. The guitar stays in the rhythm section for this one. Lovely. (7:41)
6. * Up-tempo and syncopated. Trumpet & sax state a theme in unison. Guitar shows off a bit. Trumpet emerges as the leader. (4:52)
7. ** We hear the bass and then a slow theme stated on trumpet. At 1:04, Mary takes charge and puts on a fusion guitar clinic. Wow! (6:25)



Track Listing
1. The Hunt   4. The Throes
2. Should I Do   5. Questions
3. Folly Cove   6. Opal
  7. Soundtrack To Romance