Kyūdō by Kenji Lee's Fortune Teller Trio

Those who practice Kyūdō, a traditional form of Japanese archery, view it as a vehicle for moral and spiritual growth. Their primary objective is not to hit the target; rather, they seek to embody the virtues of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty (Shin Zen Bi) through intense concentration on movement and form. While technical precision facilitates aesthetic sensibility, it is inner spiritual beauty that lends depth to their performance. Thus, technique and spirit are intertwined in harmonious unity.

This marriage between technique and spirit is central to the musical practice of Detroit-based saxophonist Kenji Lee. His Fortune Teller Trio, comprised of himself on tenor sax, Andy Peck on bass, and Jonathan Barahal Taylor on drums, leverages its technical virtuosity to explore the profound depths of human emotion. In their debut album, Kyūdō, the Fortune Teller Trio seeks to embody the tenets of this Japanese practice through improvisation, painting sweeping sonic landscapes against a canvas of stillness.

Like most traditions grounded in ritual and ceremony, Kyūdō is guided by a sequence of formalized movements that promote the highest forms of spiritual and ethical discipline. Similarly, the members of the Fortune Teller Trio work in lockstep, each uniquely contributing to the singular artistic vision they present.

Lee’s horn cuts through the mix like a beam of light, searing bright like sparks of iron against stone. A highly inventive improviser, his solos are characterized by a centrality of focus that targets the sublime. His compositions are elaborate in their construction, imbued with an imaginative spirit that inspires the purest of improvisational expression.

Peck’s bass playing is elastic. Each pluck resonates with the weight of a drawn bow, challenging the listener to follow the trajectory of his arrow. He is at once capable of deploying a barrage of deftly executed notes, while at other times wielding his bow to evoke steam-like whispers of arco sustains.

Taylor’s drumming boasts a tremendous dynamic range, spanning the quietest of gestures to the most explosive frenzy of impulses. Seismic surges of kick and tom blend seamlessly with blooming cymbal flourishes, commanding one’s attention with visceral allure.

Kyūdō also showcases the talents of guest vocalist Estar Cohen, whose voice ducks and weaves through Lee’s horn with remarkable agility. At times their melodic counterpoint intertwines so tightly as to evoke the parallel strands of a helix coil.

Together, the Fortune Teller Trio converges on a common sound that extends far beyond the traditional sax trio canon. Indeed, Kyūdō encompasses a variety of textures ranging from pastoral meditation to exhilarating displays of raw intensity.

Despite its breadth of sonic temperament, The Fortune Teller Trio is grounded in the unifying principles of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty central to the Kyūdō practice. This allows the ensemble to blossom with improvisational spontaneity, achieving a harmony of technique and sprit that speaks through their debut album, Kyūdō.

- Brian Juarez

kenji lee is a saxophonist, composer-improviser, and educator based in southeastern michigan.

kenjilee.net