reviews for "Figurations":

"In music built heavily on structure — mixed meter, long lines, counterpoint — the trick is to make it flow and sound natural, connected to the body. That’s what this quartet does, and each part of “Figurations” is elegant, precise, dramatic and well played. . . It’s a cerebral but warm record, and each part sounds wholly different from the last. Mr. Okazaki plays here with the saxophonist Miguel Zenón, the bassist Thomas Morgan and the drummer Dan Weiss. They’re equals in the project, inhabiting the music. Watch this band." full review

- Ben Ratliff, New York Times

"These adrenaline-charged compositions are consummate exhibitions of form and freedom . . . The band translates Okazaki's brilliant ideas into music that is not only thought-provoking, but more importantly, captivating and moving" full review

- Mark F. Turner, All About Jazz

"Okazaki is a fretboard poet who carefully searches with persistence and care for the right elements upon which he can build his compact and eloquent layered solo passages . . . " full review

- New York City Jazz Record

"What begins as a set course often includes several tangential paths taken on the way to the destination. The result is an often thrilling ride full of diversity and change." full review

emusic "pick of the week"