CD
Improvised Music from Japan, IMJ-528
Released on February 26, 2006
Purchase price in Japan: 2,000 yen (tax not included)
(For purchase outside of Japan, prices vary.)
Katsura Yamauchi: alto saxophone
Michel Doneda: soprano saxophone, sopranino saxophone on track 3
Alto sax player Katsura Yamauchi was born in Oita, Kyushu, in 1954. In 2002 he quit his company job to become a full-time musician, and almost each year since '03 has traveled to Europe and Asia and strengthened his ties with local musicians. In the process he met and found a kindred spirit in one of France's leading improvisers, soprano/sopranino saxophonist Michel Doneda (who happens to be the same age as Yamauchi). They've played together many times since. Both musicians have performance styles characterized by a total absence of melodious phrases and a constant exploration of the nature of sound. Continuing in this direction, La Drache is permeated throughout with fresh yet tension-filled sound structures. All five tracks were recorded in France in May 2004.