Hisatsugu Suzuki

Japanese saxophonist, Suzuki Hisatsugu, one of Japan's leading saxophonists, releases his new album "Stars & Smiles, Vol.1 (Players)" and "Stars & Smiles, Vol.2 (Songs)." These new albums are his third and fourth studio recordings under T5Jazz Records, features an exquisite selection of standards performed by a powerful trio lineup of saxophone, guitar, and bass. Unlike his previous two works, "Standards++" featuring a quartet with piano, bass, and drums, and "Favourites," a trio work with Hammond organ and drums, this new album showcases a refined and classical trio formation with the addition of guitar and bass. The music crafted by contemporary musicians reflects the present era and embodies a sound that resonates with the times.

The previous studio live release, "Live from Yokohama," which was released as a digital-only work, garnered over 500,000 plays (with approximately 250,000 listeners) overseas, particularly in the US, showcasing the strength of standard songs on a global scale and demonstrating the performance quality of the Suzuki Hisatsugu Trio. In this new album, while following the same direction, Suzuki Hisatsugu revives timeless standards in the contemporary era with superb performances by a new lineup and outstanding compositions.