Quasimode

Quasimode emerged from Japan as a jazz quartet whose refined yet earthy approach draws inspiration from hard bop of the 1960s and 1970s along with Latin and soul-jazz currents. Their profile rose sharply after issuing Land of Freedom in 2007, an album that spotlighted vocalist Carmen Lundy, and they have since pursued original material while delivering energetic interpretations of both longstanding standards and recent songs on releases such as the 2009 Mode of Blue and the 2014 My Favorite Songs.

The ensemble formed in Tokyo in 2002 and comprises pianist Yusuke Hirado, bassist Kazuhiro Sunaga, percussionist Takahiro "Matzz" Matsuoka, and drummer Takashi Okutsu. Their first recording, Oneself Likeness, appeared in 2006. Wider notice followed with the 2007 album Land of Freedom, which brought in singer Carmen Lundy and introduced expansive big-band arrangements that broadened the group’s sonic range. Additional acclaimed projects came afterward, among them 2009’s Mode of Blue, 2011’s Magic Ensemble, and 2013’s Soul Cookin’. On the 2014 collection My Favorite Songs the quartet revisited classic standards as well as more recent material by Radiohead, Snow Patrol, and Stevie Wonder.