... through Tomita's picturesque and vivid compositions, the result is a mature, cerebral and vibrant brainchild which exudes respect and devotion to its muse.
*CDs available for purchase soon!*
Drawing inspiration from the fantastical world of Japanese folklore, bassist and composer Fumi Tomita interprets and reveals the strange, mysterious, and often mischievous creatures of the yokai tradition through modern jazz. Inspired primarily by 19th-century woodblock prints, nine original compositions conjure monster snakes, foxes, and thunder beasts, transforming their otherworldly personalities into music that is by turns spacious, haunting, lyrical, and swinging. With saxophonist Carl Clements, guitarist Jason Ennis, and drummer Gary Fieldman, Tomita adds to his earlier acclaimed interpretation of Haruki Murakami's work, as Yokai reveals another side of his imaginative musical world, where folklore, visual art, and improvisation meet.
Track Listing:
1 Daija (Monster Snake) 6:51
2 Kitsune (The Fox) 4:39
3 Betobeto san 4:27
4 Wakana-Hime (Princess Wakana) 7:37
5 Kiyomori 4:32
6 Amabiko (Sea Lad) 4:54
7 Genjũ Zukushi Emaki (Beasts Galore) 5:32
8 Okiku 5:14
9 Hyakki Yagyo (Night Parade of 100 Demons) 5:24
All composed by Fumi Tomita, Groovy Tomato Music (ASCAP)
Performers:
Carl Clements - saxes & flute
Jason Ennis - guitars
Fumi Tomita - bass
Gary Fieldman - drums
Production Info:
Produced by Fumi Tomita
Recorded by Mark Alan Miller at
Northfire Studios, Amherst, MA
on August 15-16, 2025
Mixed & mastered by Warren Amerman
at Rotary Records, West Springfield, MA
Artist photo by Julian Parker Burns
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Reviews of Yokai: Songs of the Japanese Supernatural
Paris Move (Thierry De Clemensat)
4-STARS - Fumi Tomita's Yokai! Turns Japanese Folklore Into Modern Jazz
There are musicians who play music, and there are musicians who seem to investigate the world before they play it. Fumi Tomita belongs to the second category. His curiosity is not an academic ornament, something that can be listed alongside degrees, teaching positions or boo ...
The New York City Jazz Record (Marilyn Lester)
What an intriguing idea! Like Western mythology, Japanese art and literature are full of spirits, phantoms and divine entities (good and bad) occupying at least a thousand years of history. According to Japanese animism, spirit-like entities, called yokai, reside in all things, including natural phenomena and inanimate objects. In Yokai: Songs of t ...
