Yuko Mabuchi Trio – Yuko Mabuchi Trio (2017) [DSF DSD256 + Hi-Res FLAC]

Yuko Mabuchi moved to the United States from her native Japan only recently, but when she plays American jazz she speaks the language perfectly. This albums associate producer and Yarlung special advisor Billy Mitchell describes Yukos playing as funky from the heart. Yuko was born in Fukui, on the west coast of Japan, north of Kyoto. This live concert recording session took place in Cammilleri Hall, the same concert venue designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, where Yarlung recorded Sophisticated Lady jazz quartet in 2014.

I first heard the Yuko Mabuchi Trio at Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood. The trio performed for the annual SAPPA gala, a non-profit organization for which Yuko volunteers as accompanist for the Watts-Willowbrook Youth Symphony. I went home that night, thinking about the trio’s electrifying sound and Yuko’s dynamism. I telephoned the next day, asking if Yuko wanted to make a debut album with her trio. “Yes!” she said. We held our live concert recording session on March 31st, 2017. My friend Billy Mitchell was an integral part of this project, organizing rehearsals and assisting in the overall production of this recording. His depth of experience, superb instincts, good humor and organizational ability have made this project an enduring pleasure. Dr. Antonio Damasio generously invited us back to the Brain and Creativity Institute’s Cammilleri Hall at USC for this concert and recording. This is the gem of a concert hall designed by Yasuhisa Toyota and lovingly built by Antonio and Hanna Damasio, where Yarlung recorded our first jazz albums with Sophisticated Lady jazz quartet. The superb concert hall acoustics and the cozy 90 seat size make Cammilleri ideal for all sorts of music but especially nice for an intimate jazz concert like this. If only more jazz clubs sounded like Cammilleri Hall!

Yarlung’s engineers Arian Jansen and Tom Caulfield joined me for this project which we recorded in stereo on analog tape and in DSD 256, and 5 Channel Surround Sound in DSD 256. Special thanks to our family at the Brain and Creativity Institute: Ivan Zawinul, Mario Gurrola, Denise Nakamura, Faith Ishibashi and Cinthya Nuñez, who make all great things possible. Much appreciation also to Brittany Welsh at the Radisson Midtown Hotel at USC who made us feel so welcome. – Bob Attiyeh, Yarlung Records

Tracklist:

01 – What Is This Thing Called Love
02 – Valse Noire
03 – On Green Dolphin Street
04 – Seriously
05 – Medley: All the Things You Are / Take The ‘A’ Train / Satin Doll
06 – Japanese Medley: Hazy Moon / Cherry Blossom / Look At The Sky
07 – Sona’s Song
08 – St. Thomas

Producer: Bob Attiyeh
Recording Engineers:
Bob Attiyeh & Arian Jansen – stereo analog tape and DSD
Tom Caulfeld – 5 Channel Surround Sound
Mastering Engineers: Steve Hoffman & Bob Attiyeh

Musicians:
Yuko Mabuchi – piano
Del Atkins – bass
Bobby Breton – drums

Recording – Technical details:
Stereo
Arian Jansen and I recorded the stereo version of the Yuko Mabuchi Trio concert using an AKG C-24 and two Schoeps M222 vacuum tube microphones from Ted Ancona, and a 5ZERO7 from David Bock. We used Elliot Midwood vacuum tube microphone preamplifcation and fed our signal into our SonoruS ATR12 analog tape recorder using Sonorus Holographic Imaging technology, and into our Merging Technologies Hapi converter recording DSD256 using Pyramix software.

5 Channel Surround Sound
Yarlung recording engineer Tom Caulfeld recorded our 5 Channel Surround Sound using three DPA 4041SP and two DPA 4006A microphones. Tom fed these microphones directly into his Merging Technologies Hapi converter to record it.

DSD256 Stereo