'Gato Libre' is Spanish for 'free/stray cat'. Japanese trumpeter Natsuki Tamura adopted the name for his quartet, and their music, as heard in this week's exclusive session for Jazz on 3, is suitably reminiscent of sounds picked up on his wanderings across continents. There's a European folk tinge in particular to their sparse but melodic tunes - miniatures that zoom in on short themes and delicate textural details. Tamura is joined by Satoko Fujii - who unusually features on accordion rather than her usual piano in this band - as well as guitarist Kazuhiko Tsumura and Yasuko Kaneko on trombone. Also in the session, Tamura and Fujii join forces with British guitarist John Russell for an extended free improvisation that reflects a different side to their musical personalities.
Interesting other stuff at the end of the programme, however.
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