REVIEWS

Drama is what Fox is after, and the expert control of his musical forces is evident throughout the suite...As the thirteen tracks are played in sequence, the music pulls the listener along, creating an almost visual stage. While a live performance with controlled lighting would be a wonderful, and possibly scary, experience, listening to this finely crafted music is the next best thing.
Budd Kopman, All About Jazz

John Savage's flute, which emulates a Japanese shakuhachi, suggests shadows and mists...the quieter pieces, such as "Sasayaki" ("Whisper"), achieve a ghostly vibe -- and a compelling union of East and West.
Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post

Northern Virginia heard madness and murder this weekend, as jazz met Japan in Rosslyn. Billy Fox's Kaidan Suite, as performed by improvising chamber group the Kitsune Ensemble, explored themes of Japanese ghost-story telling, jazz and tonal music, from light to dark, at the Rosslyn Spectrum...As the lights came back on, the audience stood and clapped, expressing their appreciation for this masterful execution by the Kitsune Ensemble.
Paul Ghosh, DCist

Even though the CD is, at its core, a modal jazz record, it still utilizes Japanese musical elements and conveys the kaidan (ghost story), with astonishing clarity and complexity...From the thoughtful oriental vibe in "Anohito No Teien (The Wife's Garden)" to the menacing free improv in "Anata (Darling)," the message is clear: Kaidan Suite is an unambiguous, multifaceted story in the Japanese tradition.
Ivan Ng, All About Jazz


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