Shingo Okudaira The New Force +1
May 22, 2025
Pit Inn, Shinjuku
Shingo Okudaira奥平真吾(Ds)
Makoto Oka岡 淳(Sax)
Hideaki Hori堀 秀彰(P)
Kosuke Ochiai落合康介(B)
Takayoshi Baba馬場孝喜(G)
The ease and comfort of a group onstage is always infectious, especially when all the musicians have a balanced sense of confidence. It comes through strongly with Okudaira’s The New Force. The musicians really support each other and never get in the way of whoever steps in front to speak their musical mind. This hard-working, highly creative group has everything in place and then goes for it—with new force.
The first set focused on music from and about Carlos Garnett, a Panamanian sax player who inspired Okudaira as a friend and collaborator, music on their most recent CD, “The Big Brother” (2024), the fifth in a great series. The New Force jumped into “U R D 1 4 Me” by Garnett, and did it proud. The bounce and forward motion of the song captured the wonderful blend of South American subtleties layered over cool post-bop sensibilities. “Catch Me if You Can,” another by Garnett, held just as much forward thrust. The solos moved from Oka to Hori to Baba with smoothness and mutually respectful grace. One of Okudaira’s originals, “One for Carlos” from his most recent CD, showed how deeply Garnett’s and Okudaira’s years playing in America influenced him.
Moving further into sleek post-bop was “Stop and Go,” an original from pianist Hori. It’s a marvelous tune with the right mix of complex chords and bluesy solidity to open up into even more soloing. Okudaira didn’t take too many solos himself. As a leader, he likes to support and engage with all the group members. So, when he did get into a solo, near the end of both sets, it was riveting.
The second set moved on to another tribute to a musician Okudaira has worked with. “Harvie’s Tune” was written for the great bass player, Harvie S. “Bird’s Words” for Charlie Parker was as nimble and exciting as Bird’s own solos, moving in and out and around the melody line. Call it bop or post-bop, blues or contemporary, those two songs were full-on jazz that mixed subtle differences of style together.
What really stood out from The New Force was the many, long melodic lines played with such improvisatory dynamism. Oka on sax, Hori on piano, and Baba on guitar poured out idea after idea, direction after direction, into their solos. I hated to hear any of them stop.
Ochiai and Okudaira kept the time changes, of which there were many quick ones, flowing back and forth with the energy of a huge ocean wave. Riding the top of that wave of rhythmic energy must have been tricky, but the result was balance, skilled playing, and engagement. The New Force laid down two sets of full-on jazz that pleased. The audience clapped for more, and I longed for the days when sets went on until the last train home.
