Musicians:
Nobuyasu Furuya – tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet
Rodrigo Pinheiro – piano
Eduardo Lála – trombone
Hernâni Faustino – contrabass
Gabriel Ferrandini – drums, percussions
Recorded and mixed on 14 and 22 November, 2010 at Namusche / Lisbon by Joaquim Monte
All tracks were composed and conducted by Nobuyasu Furuya
All tracks were performed and improvised by Pinheiro / Lala / Faustino / Ferrandini / Furuya
Cover photo by Seiichi Sugita
Mastered by Arыnas Zujus at MAMAstudios
Design by Oskaras Anosovas
Produced by Danas Mikailionis
Co-producer – Valerij Anosov

Nobuyasu Furuya is a relatively little-known Japanese reedman who lives in Lisbon, where he\’s been making associations with some of the city\’s finest improvisers. Following his 2009 debut on Clean Feed (Bendowa, with bassist Hernâni Faustino and drummer Gabriel Ferrandini) he\’s back with The Major, joined by the RED Trio (Faustino, Ferrandini and pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro) and trombonist Eduardo Lála in six original compositions ranging from pulpit-pounding to cagy sonic exploration. On tenor, Furuya\’s playing is reminiscent of Peter Brötzmann and Mototeru Takagi, and the RED Trio is akin to a contemporary version of ARC or a free-improv version of the Garland / Chambers / Taylor rhythm section. They\’re surely one of the most cohesive improvising trios in modern music, and collaborations with figures like John Butcher, Nate Wooley and now Furuya are extra icing on the cake. The three build up a detailed storm behind his gruff, burnished shouts and Lála\’s tailgate on \”Jap Agitator Caught Again\”, bashing and whacking brush alongside the leader\’s manic sear. Opening the flip side, \”Where Are the Brothers and Sisters?\” has a chunky ragtime to no-time rhythmic bash, with Lála\’s Rudd-like slushy chortle sailing on the pianist\’s eddies. The trombonist is an impressive member of the front line, belting out jovial and brusque commentary. The Major is an enjoyable and frequently compelling session with strong, engaging interplay and flashes of studied seamlessness. What more could one ask for from a second date? Clifford Allen