With The Land Of Freedom, the Japanese jazz band Quasimode is celebrating the switch to Sonar Kollektiv, Jazzanova's label. Furthermore, since their debut Oneself-Likeness (2007) little has changed in their infectious sound. They still deal in sparkling club jazz and danceable fusion. For the first time they make use of vocalists including the American singer Carmen Lundy. The originally four-piece
… band of pianist Yusuke Hirado, percussionist Takahiro Matsuoka, drummer Takashi Okutsu and bassist Kazuhiro Sunaga is supplemented on many songs with a horn section that releases the gas completely. With this, Quosimode swings as if a complete big band is playing. With their debut they already showed themselves as a well-oiled machine, with The Land Of Freedom all brakes are released. The piano becomes, even during the quiet parts, powerfully struck, the rhythm section raises things in a propulsive way, while the percussion rattles like machine gun fire in the background. This is how jazz should sound. (AD)more