When Satoko Fujii went to New York to find kindred spirits and start a trio, she did not know she would hit the jackpot when she stumbled on bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Jim Black. Their debut runs you over from the very first second, underlining how well they coalesce, and proves Dresser's muscularity and Black's rock accents to be a perfect match for the pianist's punchy delivery. The musicians' mad races often gives the listener a rush of adrenaline and their overall performance brims with a vitality fueled by the freshness of their relationship. Black is magnificently percussive with his machine gun attack as well as his impressive rolls or cymbal crashes. Dresser switches from low to high registers in the wink of an eye and his arco playing can be adequately rugged and abrasive. The trio does offer some moments of respite, opportunities for the musicians to demonstrate their ability to imbue their contributions with a good dose of subtlety. As a means of relieving the pressure, the album ends with a lighter and sprightly tune, Let's Get out of Here, which is very much impregnated with Black's unmistakable style and Fujii's own blend of melody and dissonance. The only quibble about this session is the mix, that tends to obscure Dresser's role when the trio is in full gear. Other than that, it is a brilliant and exciting debut. ~ Alain Drouot, Rovi

1		City Life
2		This Is the Thing That I Have Forgotten
3		The Sun Was Yellow
4		210
5		Yad Nus
6		Looking out of the Window
7		Let's Get out of Here

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