How Many?

Natsuki Tamura and Satoko Fujii, husband and wife, team up for this highly unusual duo of fourteen excursions into free waters. Tamura seems stimulated by the virtuosic jabs and undercurrents of Fujii, as the trumpeter covers a wide range of technical and emotional ground. Highlights include the dense, dark, moody, and brooding tones of "Subjective Gravity," and the sweet lyricism of "A Bench in the Park," and the guttural, pinched sounds of "A Day After Yesterday." Fujii is a strong performer, with a firm yet flowingly vibrant attack. Her sensitive solo number, "Kaleidoscope," emphasizes her lighter touch, to fine effect. Tamura is given ample opportunity to mine the lower realms of the trumpet through both multiphonics and pedal notes. His alternatively weeping, muttering, and wailing blather seem to fit perfectly against Fujii's more traditional approach.