Midnight Sun (Remastered) Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio

• 1 Midnight Sun 06:08
• 2 Autumn Leaves 05:10
• 3 Wave 06:14
• 4 A Shade Of Love 04:27
• 5 Billy Boy 05:35
• 6 Love Is Here To Stay 08:26
• 7 Blue Manhattan 04:46
• 8 Kid 02:17
• Total Runtime 43:03

Info for Midnight Sun (Remastered)

One of the most sensitively soulful records of the 70s from pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – a set that still has him working in a trio format, but which also has a slightly more mellow feel overall – with some especially great work from the leader on the ballads! Yamamoto’s style is maturing strongly here – and he’s got this commanding spectrum of sound from the piano – gentle right hand passages and deep left hand lines – all nicely balanced with work from Tsutomo Okada on bass and Keiji Kishida on drums.

Recorded in Tokyo in June 1978 after his stay in the United States, Midnight Sun captures the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio in a format typical of the Three Blind Mice aesthetic: full, dynamic sound and natural breathing of the playing. Between standards (‘Autumn Leaves’, ‘Love Is Here To Stay’) and more personal themes, Yamamoto favours melodic narration, with a deep left hand and a very singing touch.

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, piano
Tsutomu Okada, double bass
Keiji Kishida, drums

Recorded June 3 & 4, 1978 at Onkio Haus, Tokyo
Produced by Takeshi "Tee" Fujii

Digitally remastered

Tsuyoshi Yamamoto
was largely self-taught as a pianist, although he did have piano lessons as a child. He attended Nihon University. As a student there, he played professionally, first as an accompanist to pop singer Micky Curtis; they toured Europe in 1967. In 1974, he became house pianist at Misty, a Tokyo jazz club. He also made his recording debut as leader that year. He played major international festivals in the late 1970s. He also "lived in New York for a year, when he performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins, Elvin Jones, and Sonny Stitt, among others."

This album contains no booklet.