Ryo Fukui Trio - At The Slowboat 2004 (2LP) [HMV Record Shop / Lawson Japan]

Format: 2x12".

"I want to hear more of Ryo Fukui's performances." The dream of listeners around the world has now come true. A spectacular live performance filled with the charm of the mature Fukui, who was connected to .

This is precisely what unexpected joy means: the appearance of a "new work" by Ryo Fukui. Recorded on June 26, 2004, it is the live recording of a commemorative concert for the 9th anniversary of , the jazz club that Fukui presided over and used as the base for his activities. The trio members were Fukui, Kosuke Sakai (double bass), and Yoshito Eto (drums). Fukui was 56 years old at the time.

His performance was powerful and grand, yet at the same time delicate and precise. In terms of the balance between energy, endurance, and technique, he was just entering his prime. He offers intense but elegant versions of his admired Phineas Newborn Jr. and Tommy Flanagan, and plays with emotion for Wayne Shorter, of whom he was a great admirer in his youth. It is a spectacular performance that reflects the fullness of Fukui's stage. , which opened in June 1995, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.