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Reviews
Akira Tana: Moon Ove The World
(Sons of Sound/King SSPCD018)
 "Drummer
Akira Tana, bassist Rufus Ried and pianist
Ted Lo make it all seem so effortless
on Moon
Over The World. …They
unify an explosive gait with poise and magnetism. Lo's
lightning-fast delivery conjures up remembrances
of Bud Powell during some of the high-impact
selections. Tana and Reid perform
with burning passion as the trio incorporates
snappy Latin beats, complex unison choruses
and dainty melodies into various arrangements." [read
the review]
— DownBeat , November 2004
 "…boasts
a mature, focused eloquence. …Moon highlights
the jazz drummer in an acoustic trio. It's
a highly satisfying setting for Tana's intricate,
sensitive, and swinging drumming… Tana
is a big listener, and exciting "orchestrator" who
employs his formidable chops for phrase building.
Not a gratuitous note in the set." [read
the review]
— Modern Drummer , June 2004
"…any listener will be knocked
out by the sparkling solos and telepathic ensemble
work." [read
the review]
— Body & Soul, May/June 2004
"Consummate pro Akira Tana demonstrates
his nimble touch and reliably swinging grooves on Moon
Over The World… Tana's signature
tasteful brushwork…Tana
plays the sensitive colorist… An
underrated master, Tana shines
on Moon Over The World." [read
the review]
— JazzTimes, May 2004
"…attractive,
thoughtful mainstream piano-trio music, longer
on shapliness and refinement than on surprise,
but benefiting from some unusual choices of repertoire.
Lo contributes excellent arrangements of
Chinese and Japanese folk tunes and pop songs;
there are astute picks of rarely-covered
tunes by Horace Silver, Jaco Pastorius,
and Gene Bertoncini; and all three musicians chip
in with good originals… The
results are a listenable and enjoyable album…."
[read
the review]
— Cadence, May 2004
" Four
and One Half Stars: "…doesn't
restrict itself to the same jazz standards and
frequently recorded jazz works… Tana's
idea to incorporate Chinese folk songs works very
well. "Moon Over the World" has
a pop sensibility, but the lovely melody and superb
musicianship keep it viable. "Condor Man" was
once a theme song to a popular kung fu TV show,
yet Lo's imaginative samba setting likewise keeps
it from falling into predictability. "Reflections
of Love" begins as a ballad before suddenly
segueing into a wild post-bop arrangement, with
Tana's exciting drum solo as its centerpiece. Since
the Paddlewheel edition of this highly recommended
CD is somewhat difficult to obtain, most jazz fans
will be pleased to learn that Sons of Sound reissued
this release in the U.S. in early 2004."
[read
the review]
— All Music Guide, February 2004
"While the influence and adaptability
of European sources to modern jazz is a given,
there seems to be little credit or credibility
given to the Asian subcontinent… The result, Moon Over the World, is a fascinating
and engaging blend of Oriental themes with contemporary
post bop… Tana’s career extends
back over twenty years…Even
at it most urgent, its most insistent, there is
a certain delicacy to his playing… Moon
Over the World may only be the
second album released by Tana as a leader, but,
while it is clearly the work of a collective with
remarkable empathy, he exhibits all the
characteristics of a good leader: an ability to
put together an attractive program with a concept,
performed by a trio of musicians who clearly understand
where he is trying to take it. Subtle and distinctive, Moon
Over the World sheds light on a musical source
that is far too rarely mined." [read
the review]
— All About Jazz, February 2004
"Akira Tana… is one of
the most inventive drum performers performing
today, and accompanied with Ted Lo on piano and
Rufus Reid on bass, Moon Over The
World is Tana at his finest. This
CD collection combines the best of contemporary jazz
with world music motifs and improvisional jazz themes.
An unusual blend, it works perfectly with this trio…
Each song performance is inventive… There
is topnotch solo work on each song, and each musician
is in top form. To hear Tana and Lo and Reid together
is a jazz audience listening treat, and this CD
delivers! For
an eclectic and exciting listening adventure, Moon
Over The World is a delight.
Highly recommended." [read
the review]
— Jazz Review , February 2004
"Drummer Akira Tana teams up with pianist Ted
Lo and bassist Rufus Reid to deliver eleven
electric cuts of jazz gems on Moon
Over The World. Together they draw upon Chinese
and Japanese pop and folk melodies as inspiration
for a set of improvisational jazz… An
exciting and interesting album blending the music
of both cultures!" [read
the review]
— Boston Post-Gazette, January 2004
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