At Billboard Live Yokohama, the room fell into a hush of anticipation as Yoshio Suzuki took the stage, his bass setting a pulse that moved fluidly between fiery spontaneity and effortless charm over the course of the night.
The March 21 performance marked Suzuki¡¯s 80th birthday, which he celebrated with an audience of jazz fans and The Blend, the five-person ensemble he founded in 2019. Introducing tenor saxophonist Kosuke Mine, 82, as a ¡°living national treasure,¡± Suzuki recalled their years living together in New York and performing with pianist Masabumi Kikuchi.
The rest of The Blend, mostly in their 50s and 60s, injected a different energy. Trumpeter Keisuke Nakamura delivered a daring sound ¡ª light yet grounded, alongside veteran Mine. Against the full-bodied brass, Hakuei Kim¡¯s piano added fine brushstrokes through glassy arpeggios and subtle tonal shifts. Drummer Tamaya Honda was riveting to watch, driving his solos to a fever pitch while remaining controlled and precise elsewhere. Throughout, the rhythmic heartbeat of Suzuki¡¯s bass underpinned the ensemble¡¯s improvisational performance.?
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