Saxophonist Joris Posthumus has a connection with Japan. He himself is steeped in jazz — and so is Japan. You hear jazz everywhere there, and you can perform anywhere. And that’s exactly what happens, even if it’s for a mere pittance that wouldn’t get you out of bed in the Netherlands. Posthumus has been to Japan several times and has found like-minded musicians there, with whom he founded his Joris Posthumus Group in 2016, releasing the album Tokyo’s Bad Boys. In 2020, he returned to Japan and toured with the same group of musicians, this time adding trumpeter Yuki Hirate. In Nagoya, Japan, they recorded the follow-up to Tokyo’s Bad Boys, which was released earlier this year under the title Jinsei.
Jinsei is not just a follow-up — it’s also a step forward for Posthumus. A few years ago, he still felt uncertain when playing ballads; after all, he was a hardened swinger. Joris Posthumus is, in any case, one of the most underrated Dutch musicians, but as a ballad player, he also used to underestimate himself. Jinsei, which means “human life” in Japanese, contains many pieces that can be described as introspective ballads, on which Posthumus has overcome all hesitation and fear of slower tempos. His sound on the alto sax is still tough as nails and razor-sharp, but remains pleasant every second. Posthumus, from the Brabant school that also includes alto saxophonist Paul van Kemenade, evokes the sound of Charlie Mariano more than on his previous album — another underrated alto saxophonist. It’s also the ballads where the beautiful arrangements by pianist Jacob Bedaux from Den Bosch truly shine. Bedaux also contributes a composition to this album, which is otherwise written by Posthumus. Striking, too, is the distinctive, driving, and present playing of pianist Shunichi Yanagi, who, especially in the faster, sometimes slightly restless pieces, emerges as a creative follower of Horace Silver. These uptempo tracks could easily have come from the Horace Silver–Art Blakey era. With Jinsei, Posthumus shows that his jazz — rooted in the jazz of fifty years ago — can still be fresh and relevant today, and that with this Japanese group, he has carved out a unique voice in the current jazz landscape.
Tom Beetz, jazzflits
