Satoko Fujii’s Tokyo Trio is a lithe, quick-witted ensemble capable of terrific speed and excitement as well as subtle textures and tone colors. The extraordinary rapport between Fujii and fellow Japanese artists Takashi Sugawa on bass and Ittetsu Takemura on drums gives the trio a distinctive group sound full of “grace, sophistication, surprise and ingenuity” (S. Victor Aaron, Something Else! Reviews). With a deep knowledge and love of the jazz tradition as its foundation, Tokyo Trio ventures into bold, new and thrilling sonic territory. The 2021 release of the group’s debut album Moon on the Lake, recorded live at Tokyo’s Pit Inn, quickly established Tokyo Trio as a jazz ensemble of note, “a beautifully present trio that speaks to us now and no doubt will stand the test of time” (Grego Applegate Edwards, Gapplegate Music Review). 

Critics and fans alike have hailed Fujiias one of the most original voices in jazz today. She’s “a virtuoso piano improviser, an original composer and a bandleader who gets the best collaborators to deliver," says John Fordham in The Guardian. In concert and on more than 90 albums as a leader or co-leader, she synthesizes jazz, contemporary classical, avant-rock, and folk musics into an innovative style instantly recognizable as hers alone. Over the years, Fujii has led some of the most consistently creative ensembles in modern improvised music. As the leader of no less than five orchestras in the U.S., Germany, and Japan, Fujii has also established herself as one of the world’s leading composers for large jazz ensembles, leading Cadence magazine to call her “the Ellington of free jazz.”