jazz2love

     Trusting in one's collaborators is a principle that saxophonist-composer-arranger-leader Yuto Mitomi follows by instinct.  Mitomi has enjoyed shaping compositions and improvisations from simply trusting in the collective experience of riffing with his collaborators.  His 2025 release Epicycle harnesses this synergy, blending traditional jazz parlance with modern perspectives. "With Epicycle ," he declares, "I aimed to capture not just the sound but also the atmosphere and human energy—the intangible elements that emerge when musicians create together in the moment." A shining example of Mitomi's songwriting process, capturing human energy that emerges when immersed in a collaborative setting, is his improvised arrangement "Grappling Cats" from Epicycle .  He explains, "This track is actually a free improvisation. I probably just counted in the tempo then started playing without any sheet music." "I don’t remember the exact det...

Album:  Epicycle Artist:  Yuto Mitomi Label:  Self-Released Website:  https://yutomitomi.com   The improvised prose penned by saxophonist-composer Yuto Mitomi gives his new recording Epicycle character and depth, keeping the dynamics of the tracks fluctuating and shapeshifting.  The title of the recording "refers to a geometric model used to explain the variations in speed and direction of the apparent motion of the Moon, Sun, and planets," states Mitomi's electronic press kit, giving the listener a vision of his motivation. The arrangements are created by seaming polyrhythms, harmonic forms and melodic patterns, making tangential musings that wrap around one another then return to a middle ground where all the musicians come together.  Joining Mitomi on this expedition are Takahiro Izumikawa on piano, Moto Fukushima on six-string electric bass, and Keita Ogawa on drums and percussion. The improvised flutter and flare of Mitomi's sax emotes an organic...