Fragile is the seventh leader album by the Japanese pianist Junko Onishi, released on September 23, 1998, in Japan. It was re-released on May 4, 1999, by Blue Note Records.[1][2]
| Fragile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 23, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | July 5–7, 1998 | |||
| Studio | Toshiba-EMI studio 3, Tokyo | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 56:45 | |||
| Label | Somethin' Else (Toshiba EMI) TOCJ-8008 | |||
| Producer | Hitoshi Namekata | |||
| Junko Onishi chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
In a review for AllMusic, Tim Sheridan wrote: "Onishi gets into a classic rock groove on this disc... Her fervent piano attack in particular keeps the disc consistently interesting."[3]
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings called the album "a fun record for Onishi," but noted that it "sidles into self-indulgence at points."[4]
A reviewer for Billboard stated that, on the album, Onishi "forgoes tradition and lets the fun fly." They commented: "The results are infectious, as the individual tracks open, develop, and eventually burn with enthusiasm."[5]
The Australian Financial Review's Shane Nichols called the music "an interesting dip into the past," and remarked: "It's no secret that Onishi swings; this album proves she rocks too."[6]
A writer for the Orlando Weekly described the album as "a jam-intensive adventure," noting that Onishi "has made a startling leap from sublime acoustic post-bop to sonic terrain largely associated with '70s fusion and contemporary groove-jazz."[7]
Writing for All About Jazz, David Adler stated: "I've never been a fan of the rock cover trend in the jazz world. The concept has sent many a fine jazz CD off the tracks, and it manages nearly to ruin this one entirely."[8] Another AAJ reviewer commented: "Fragile is ironically quite pliable and coarse at times, wielding an oft-unwieldy arsenal of moods and sounds which occasionally (and admittedly) lose their sense of form and function."[9]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Phaethon" | - | Junko Onishi | 8:21 |
| 2. | "Complexions" | - | Junko Onishi | 7:21 |
| 3. | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | - | Phil Spector, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil | 11:38 |
| 4. | "Compared To What" | Gene McDaniels | Gene McDaniels | 7:05 |
| 5. | "Hey Joe" | - | Billy Roberts | 10:46 |
| 6. | "Eulogia Variation" | - | Junko Onishi | 6:16 |
| 7. | "Sunshine Of Your Love (JAM)" | - | Jack Bruce - Pete Brown - Eric Clapton | 5:18 |
Personnel
edit- Junko Onishi - piano
- Reginald Veal - double bass
- Karriem "Ol Skool Jamz" Riggins - drums
- Motohiko Hino - drums (2, 4)
- Tamaya Honda - drums (5, 7)
- PEACE - Vocal (4)
Production
edit- Executive producer - Hitoshi Namekata
- Co-producer - Junko Onishi
- Recording and mixing engineer - Jim Anderson
- Assistant engineer - Masataka Saito, Masaaki Ugazin, Tomoyuki Fukuda
- Mastering engineer - Yoshio Okazaki
- Cover photograph - Kunihiro Takuma
- Inner photograph - Hitsuru Hirota
- Art director - Kaoru Taku
- A&R - Yoshiko Tsuge
References
edit- ^ "Junko Onishi: Fragile". Jazz Music Archives. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "Junko Onishi Catalog". JazzDisco. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Tim Sheridan. "Fragile Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2000). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books. pp. 1133–1134.
- ^ "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. May 1, 1999. p. 21 – via Google Books.
- ^ Nichols, Shane (July 24, 1999). "Great Discs". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "Review - Fragile". Orlando Weekly. May 12, 1999. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Adler, David (October 1, 1999). "Junko Onishi: Fragile". All About Jazz. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ "Junko Onishi: Fragile". All About Jazz. January 21, 2003. Retrieved November 14, 2023.