Sora by Tamio Shiraishi

Sora is the most recent solo release from alto saxophonist and Fushitsusha co-founder Tamio Shiraishi. Shiraishi has worked out of Queens, NY since the early 1990’s and regularly plays solo sets in the NYC subway system which have accumulated a small but dedicated following. Much of Tamios’ solo aesthetic is built off of interactions with a physical space. This latest solo release was recorded in two locations, a cavernous performance space and a studio, and true to form they play as much a part in the recordings as Shiraish’s horn.
Sora (Sky) doesn't translate well into a blow-by-blow style of review. Shiraishi's minimalism is only such on a macro scale, like Richter's grey paintings rendered in altissimo, his playing forces you to listen more closely in terms of the qualities of the individual pieces and as they pertain to the collection as a whole. But unlike most music you hear the phrase "deep listening" tied to, Shiraishi doesn't make it easy. His voice on the alto is challenging and resides on the extreme high end, far beyond the instrument's general utility. This album is a raw masterclass in Shiraishi's personal language of microintervallic saxophone.
The set is bookended by a pair of tracks recorded in October 2019 at Issue Project Room's cavernous Boerum Place, where Shiraishi cuts sets of thin, piercing lines that echo and superimpose through the space. Tracks 2 & 6 were recorded at the Thousand Caves in Queens, NY in June 2019 and find Tamio utilizing complementary electronics that are rendered sparsely and in stark contrast to his saxophone playing. The 3 middle tracks (3-5) were also recorded at the Thousand Caves but during an earlier session in November 2018. These ‘center’ tracks are notably the most distilled examples of Tamio’s alto playing here, recorded simply in order to make all nuances plain. This is a terrific album. Nick Metzger

1949: born in Japan.
From mid 1970's till mid 2010's, work as software engineer.
Mid 1970's, started performing with various artists.
End 1970's, organized Joyo-Kachi-Bunkai-Kojo and co-organize Aiyoku-Jinmin-Juji-Gekijo.
1990 move to USA, 1992 to Tokyo, 1994 to NY/USA,
Perform with various artists at various venues, on the street, at subway stations.
2025/current: Still continue performing.

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