Album Review: Quartet Vol. II from Takeshi Asai
Album: Quartet Vol. II Artist: Takeshi Asai Label: Fono Bono Records Release Date: November 20, 2026 Website: https://www.takeshiasai.com/index.html https://takeshiasai.com/QuartetVol2_Album.html The esteemed Takeshi Asai, a New York City-based jazz pianist, composer and bandleader releases his 24th album Quartet Vol. II, featuring Hashem Assadullahi on alto saxophone, Mark Wade on bass, and John Clay on drums. The quartet fuses bop, swing, blues, and straight-ahead jazz into a sonic consortium that balances melodic motifs with improvised musings. At times, the quartet ventures into organic conversations among themselves, but now and then, they immerse their audience in spellbinding storylines that speak to the listener. "Fillet Mignon" is one such track that speaks to the audience. The whispery swells of Asai's keys scroll intense musings that cause the listener to pause and take a moment to reflect. The...