Fuwa Works is the latest project (2012) of Daisuke Fuwa, one of the leading Japanese jazzmen. The new project unites members of his Shibusa Chibizu formed in 1992. Some of them also play in Fuwa’s Shibusashirazu Orchestra, a free jazz collective established in 1989.

Composer, double bassist and leader Daisuke Fuwa puts his ideas to work with his various formations: Shibusa Chibizu involves 10 members, Shibusashirazu Orchestra – up to 50. While his most abstract compositions are executed by his Fuwa Works sextet.

And this time resourceful and energetic Fuwa promises an striking show, but smaller scale than theatrically gigantic carnivals by his Shibusashirazu Orchestra, where alongside musicians, offering improvisations on almost all existing styles, the audience is treated to the show of go-go dancers and masters of Japanese Butoh Dance, acrobats, animators and other artists.

Thus it is even more curious to hear Fuwa Works, an all-musician formation. This year the sextet released its debut vinyl Nanoka.

The core of Fuwa Works involves the old-timers of Shibusashirazu Orchestra. Sextet’s five members took part in recording of Fuwa’s 3-CD set, his 25-year retrospective, released in Japan this year. It features works from Fedayien (project initiated with Kazutoki Umezu), Shibusashirazu Orchestra and Rad10 repertoire, as well as albums recorded with pianist Ayako Sasaki, vocalist Tomoko Namba and saxophonist Kunihiro Izumi. The collection introduces Fuwa as a composer, double bassist and conductor.

Fuwa has started performing in the late ‘70s. Since the very start of his career he participated in avant-garde music projects, collaborated with rock musicians, Tomorowo Taguchi’s Gagarin of bachicaburi, Naoji Kondo Trio, Goku Nonaka & Living National Treasure and Fedain.

Fuwa was always fond of classical and film music, thus his compositions display a range of influences from Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman to Caribbean rhythms, as well as Gypsy and Klezmer music.

Fuwa’s wide musical horizons enabled him to produce music for Hakken no kai, an avant-garde theatre company. It also prompted Fuwa to form Shibusashirazu Orchestra, his most popular project. It was with this orchestra that the musician earned great recognition in Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Italy, Switzerland and Slovenia.