Red.. Black... Reviews

Reviews/Fan Mail from CDBABY Customers

** Review from FF Kazu:

Kudo's piano sounds in this CD are graceful. I sometimes attend his concert in Japan. I think he has many faces in his music. Sometimes he makes beautiful clear sounds like flowers, birds and stars. Sometimes he makes destructive sounds like a monstar. Sometimes he is a comedian. He is also faithful to traditional Jazz and idioms but he is not bihind the times.He is always trying to do new style on having his fixed field. It makes graceful sounds. I guess he is a gifted pianist, one in a million. I especially love "Roulette" and " Snow and then". The trio beautiful sounds really turns me on . Congratulations on the great release.

** A Letter from a fan, Alexander, living in Belarus:

Hello Jane,

Hope you are fine and the snow around (if any) gives warm feelings :) It is very cold in Minsk, Belarus, these days. The temperature goes down as much as to 20 degrees bellow zero Celsius. And Russia has cut 50% of gas supply to Belarus. So it is not very warm in the apartments.

I have not yet listened to CD "Red Black" you kindly sent me because my audio is still under repairs. But I was glad to receive your e-mail saying that the CD is placed on CDBaby. I logged in and listened to the samples available there. Wow, it is hard to express in words what I felt about THE MUSIC. It is just great, great, great. You enjoy and flow as a liquid along with the melody. You are invited to and you are inside the music. Jane, this CD is a great achievement in HAO history. If I were Downbeat critic I would definitely vote 5+ stars for this CD. This is very simple - every music lover should have this CD. Great, great, great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am looking forward to listen to full CD as soon as my audio is back. Have a nice recording and gigs sessions.

Warmest wishes from the cold place,
Alexander

** From a recent CDBABY Customer, living in Atlanta, GA:

I'm enjoying the CD very much, thank you. It's exactly what I was hoping for.....I love Piano/bass/drums Jazz.

Kevin

** From a fan originally from Bulgaria:

thanks for the message and the generous offer for a free copy In A Stranger's Hands. A compulsive buyer, I have already purchased this CD (as well as Somewhere in the Universe). You can, however, mail it to me -- I will pass it on to a couple of friends of mine who, no doubt, will be instantly hooked. I understand that most musicians are in a precarious financial situation, hardly in a position to give out CDs for free. So I can understand why you might be willing to reconsider your offer.

As to the music itself, it is beautiful, thoughtful, delicate, warm. I've enjoyed it tremendously. Your piano playing is definitely among the highlights. In myself, Hao Records has a loyal fan -- it's first Bulgarian fan, I suppose (I come from Bulgaria), but definitely not its last -- I will take the music there this summer and let my friends enjoy them.

Thanks for the message, thanks for the music -- and all the best!

Venelin

** From a listener of WMOT Jazz 89 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

You're welcome, Jane. Unfortunately, I did not hear a song from this CD on WMOT; the song I heard was "On the Bridge at Night" by Jim Pearce. I went searching for that, and came upon the CDBaby site -- it's a great website!

Red...Black... was one of the recommendations when I pulled up the Pearce CD...I listened to the samples, and was hooked (I bought both of them). I love this CD all the way through, but my favorites are Moon River, Cinema Paradiso, and Snow...and Then (I'm a sucker for romantic stuff). I will definitely recommend that the Red...Black... CD be added to the WMOT playlist.

Best of luck to these talented musicians...keep the music coming!

Margot

Review by CDBABY!

When Jazz is written for the connoisseurs of culture.. those who like to wine and dine and partake of only the finest delicacies. This trio has mastered the art of musical enchantment in a freely expressive yet soundly rooted original style. I t swings, it seduces, it shimmies. Don't miss out.

Review by Ron Sagye La Rue - Jazz News

Takashi Kudo's Red... Black... is the fifth CD I've received from Hao records. He appeared on Ryo Hashizume's two CD's as a sideman the label. Now, Kudo is his own front line in a trio format. Ably supported by Larry Grenadier,bass; and Scott Goulding,drums.

The CD begins with the Eddie Harris modern classic "Freedom Jazz Dance",and there are three long time classics "Night and Day", "Angel Eyes" and "Autumn Leaves". Kudo has very personal way of approaching these classics--better heard than discussed! But the most unusual choice of material is the pop evergreen "Moon River" by Henry Mancini. Made famous by popular singer Andy Williams. The only other recording of this tune in a jazz context that I know of is by hard bop drummer Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers! 1961.

Kudo performs this song in a romantic,beautiful and relaxed manner. Bassist Jane Wang (label founder) makes an appearance as composer. Her composition "The Shower"(after Steve Lacy) is included. Harris's "Freedom " is given a postlude. All the music on the CD has the very personal stamp of Kudo even though these standards have been done time and again.

Excellent solo work is also contributed by Grenadier and bright moments by Goulding on drums. http://www.haorecords.com

Review by Roman St. James
(entire review at www.indiemonkey.com review)

Red... Black... by Takashi Kudo is a wonderfully exciting, masterfully executed piano trio album. Their style is straight-ahead jazz, with a sound very reminiscent of the Keith Jarrett Trio recordings, but in some ways even more daring. As haunting as it is romantic, as dramatic as it is beautiful, this music is full of twists and turns.

Pianist Kudo is joined by Larry Grenadier on bass and Scott Goulding on drums and they are all marvelous musicians. I don't know how long they have played together, but it sounds like years, so profound is the intimacy of their communication.

There are 12 tracks on the album, including an interlude and a postlude. Seven tracks are covers and the remaining five are originals, three written by Kudo and one written by the label's CEO, Jane Wang.

The CD opens with an amazing arrangement of the Eddie Harris song "Freedom Jazz Dance", with the band switching from straight-time to double-time every few measures. This track shows that not only is the band not afraid to push the envelope, they have no problem delivering on the promise. The next song is an Ennio Morricone tune, "Cinema Paradiso (Love Theme)," which fully lives up to its name. They continue with crisp, buoyant versions of "Angel Eyes" and "Autumn Leaves" and one of the most poignant renditions of "Moon River" that I've ever heard.

The original compositions presented here are just as fulfilling. CEO Wang contributes "The Shower (After Steve Lacy)," a joyous tune with a quirky, angular melody. One of the ballads written by Kudo, "Snow... and then...," is full of such longing and beauty it seems destined to find itself as part of a movie soundtrack some day.

This is a rich, complex recording and one of the best piano trio CDs I've heard in quite a while.

Review From Living Traditions
(entire review at www.livingtraditions-magazine.com review)

As I listen to Kudo's music I find I travel through a multitude of landscapes, emotions and environments. Kudo's range on this recording is impressive, it has so many different layers and expressions. Sometimes they are clear and precise, other times soft and enticing. But don't be lulled into a false sense of security, sometimes they are strong and intense - even confronting. The musical style is uniquely his one, his work may be classified as Jazz but he is not limited to any one musical genre.

This is multi-layer musical journey, with a marvellous range from reflective piano pieces to the more adventurous forms of jazz.