"Today I want to be better than yesterday, and tomorrow I want to be better than today," says Ryo Fukui, who has devoted himself to the piano for 40 years with this thought in mind.
The touch is stronger, the emotion deeper, the scent richer. Even without the weight of being a posthumous work, this is a pure masterpiece.
Ryo Fukui, the renowned Hokkaido-born pianist who sadly passed away in 2016, received high praise for his two early albums, "Scenery" and "Mellow Dream," and his name is now known to jazz listeners worldwide. This album, "A Letter From Slowboat," was released in 2015, his first album as a leader in 16 years. It was recorded at his home venue, Slowboat, with two promising young musicians whose talents Fukui himself recognized. The lyricism permeates "Sonora," the poetic sentiment envelops "Stella By Starlight," and the dynamism overflows in "Speak Low." The touch is more powerful, the emotion deeper, and the aroma more lush. Text by Yusuke Ogawa (UNIVERSOUNDS / DEEP JAZZ REALITY) *"Made in Japan" quality is gaining global attention. The album is luxuriously crafted using "uncolored virgin vinyl," eliminating any coloring materials such as carbon that can affect sound quality. Using only high-purity straight vinyl chloride as the raw material, and increasing the disc weight to 180g, we have achieved stable rotation and a rich sound field expression. The "180g heavy disc/pure vinyl" specification allows you to enjoy a refined sound image.
