The Tokyo Sessions
| The Tokyo Sessions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by The Jazz Networks | ||||
| Released | January 1992 | |||
| Recorded | December 4 & 5, 1991 | |||
| Studio | Studio Sound Valley, Tokyo, Japan | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 53:16 | |||
| Label | Novus/RCA/BMG 01241 63164 2 (US) / BVCJ-117 (Japan) | |||
| Producer |
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| Roy Hargrove chronology | ||||
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The Tokyo Sessions, originally released in Japan as Straight to the Standards, is a studio album by The Jazz Networks, a group consisting of American musicians, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and saxophonist Antonio Hart, and Japanese musicians, pianist Yutaka Shiina, bassist Tomoyuki Shima, and drummer Masahiko Osaka.[1][2] It was recorded on December 4 & 5, 1991, and released in January 1992, on the Novus/RCA/BMG labels.[3][4]
In April 2021, the album was re-released by Sony Legacy for music streaming platforms as Straight to the Standards.[5]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Ron Wynn of AllMusic commented: "Hargrove's fierce trumpet solos and Hart's bluesy, equally energetic and accomplished answering alto statements fueled nine excellent reworkings of standards and jazz repertory. [...] It would still be nice to hear Hart and Hargrove doing their own material rather than simply putting their spin on shopworn, though wonderful, anthems."[3] The Rolling Stone Album Guide complimented the album, writing that "[it] takes a clean, crisp approach to a set of standards that run from a Chet Baker-inspired 'But Not for Me' to a no-frills 'Work Song.'"[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bohemia After Dark" | Oscar Pettiford | 5:08 |
| 2. | "Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere" | 6:23 | |
| 3. | "Work Song" | 6:49 | |
| 4. | "I Remember Clifford" | Benny Golson | 7:05 |
| 5. | "Straight, No Chaser" | Thelonious Monk | 4:51 |
| 6. | "But Not for Me" | 6:09 | |
| 7. | "Alone Together" | 4:44 | |
| 8. | "Lotus Blossom" | Kenny Dorham | 5:32 |
| 9. | "Easy to Love" | Cole Porter | 6:35 |
| Total length: | 53:16 | ||
Personnel
Musicians
- Roy Hargrove – trumpet
- Antonio Hart – alto saxophone
- Yutaka Shiina – piano
- Tomoyuki Shima – bass
- Masahiko Osaka – drums
Production
- Larry Clothier – producer
- Ikuyoshi Hirakawa – producer, series director
- Takahiro Nochimura – recording engineer
- Masataka Ito – assistant recording engineer
- Tohru Yamana – mastering
- Steve Backer – series director
- Mikio Kawasaki – art direction, design
- Jacqueline Murphy – art coordinator
- Hideo Canno – photography (cover)
References
- ^ "The Tokyo Sessions by Roy Hargrove – Jazz Album". All About Jazz. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ Gliožeris, Slava. "ROY HARGROVE — Roy Hargrove & Antonio Hart: The Tokyo Sessions". www.jazzmusicarchives.com. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ a b c Wynn, Ron. "The Tokyo Sessions – Roy Hargrove | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ "Roy Hargrove Legacy – 1992–1995". royhargroveofficial.com. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ "Tokyo Sessions Re-release". royhargroveofficial.com. April 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
- ^ a b H.B. (1999). Swenson, John (ed.). The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (2nd ed.). Random House. p. 289. ISBN 0-679-76873-4. Retrieved January 13, 2026 – via Internet Archive.