Japanese trumpeter Toshinori Kondo is the most celebrated improvising musician of his country.
In 1976, the group EEU (Evolution Ensemble Unit), featuring Toshinori Kondo (Japan, 1948) on trumpet, drummer Toshiyuki Tsuchitori, saxophonist Mototeru Takagi and bassist Motoharu Yoshizawa, released Concrete Voices (november 1976). Starlight Furniture Company, which was Kaoru Abe on alto saxophone, Motoharu Yoshizawa on bass, Derek Bailey on guitar and Kondo, released Aida's Call (may 1978).
In 1978 Kondo relocated to New York and his career picked up speed: Moose & Salmon (february 1979 - Music Gallery, 1978), a collaboration with guitarist Henry Kaiser and saxophonist John Oswald; Environment for Sextet (november 1978 - Ictus, 1979 - New Tone, 1996), a live jam with Polly Bradfield on violin, Andrea Centazzo on percussions, Eugene Chadbourne on guitar, Tom Cora on cello, John Zorn on sax and Kondo on trumpet; Artless sky (october 1979), a collaboration with guitarist John Russell and drummer Roger Turner; Possibilities of the Color Plastic (july 1979 - Bellows, 1980), a collaboration with Eugene Chadbourne; Imitation of Life (may 1981 - Atavistic, 2001), with cellist Tristan Honsinger, Steve Beresford (mainly on toy instruments), guitarist and flutist David Toop; The Last Supper (november 1980 - Po Torch, 1982), with drummer Paul Lovens; Death is Our Eternal Friend (september 1982 - IMA, 1982), with Lovens and Paul Lytton; etc.
Toshinori Kondo also played in clarinetist Peter Kuhn's Quintet with Arthur Williams (trumpet), William Parker (bass and bells) and Denis Charles (drums) that released only one album, the live Livin' Right (december 1978).
Forgiveness Suite (december 1979) documents a composition by trumpet player and composer Arthur Williams performed with fellow trumpet player Toshinori Kondo, Peter Kuhn (sax), William Parker (bass) and veteran drummer Denis Charles.
His first solo album was Fuigo From a Different Dimension (march 1979 - Bellows, 1979).
Back in Japan, Kondo formed International Music Activities (IMA). His own Quartet (Tristan Honsinger on cello, Peter Kowald on bass, Sabu Toyozumi on drums) released What Are You Talking About? (may 1983 - IMA, 1983). Another project, Tibetan Blue Air Liquid, released Kuuchuu Fuyuu (june 1983 - Domo, 1983 - Absord, 1999). Taihen (march 1984 - Polydor, 1984) backed the trumpet with the rock format of guitar-drum-bass. Metal Position (april 1985 - EFA, 1985) used a similar setting with the addition of Haruo Togashi's synthesizer and piano. Konton (Epic, 1986) featured a line-up of trumpet, keyboards, guitar and drums. His proximity to rock music was confirmed by the EP China Boogie (december 1984 - Polydor, 1985), featuring Bill Laswell, Anton Fier, Fred Frith, etc.
337 (Epic, 1987) was his first movie soundtrack.
Both Kamikaze Blow (february 1989 - Alfa, 1989), Human Market (november 1987 - Alfa, 1989), Tokyo Rose (october 1989 - Alfa, 1990), Godzilla Funk (Alfa, 1991), Brain War (King, 1992) employed Haruo Togashi's Keyboards and a bass-drums-guitar trio.
His style evolved towards melodic trumpet phrases dropped inside a soundscape of found noises, dissonance and free-form electronics.
New recordings included the solo Touchstone (Moon, 1993), Red City Smoke (Moon, 1993), a collaboration with the band IMA, the inferior Club New Light (Moon, 1993), that contains two remixes, a cover and the rap Just Damage.
In 1993 he moved to Amsterdam and began playing his trumpet in natural environments, as documented by Israel (Calling, 1995).
Die Like a Dog (august 1993 - FMP, 1994) featured a quartet of Kondo, saxophonist Peter Broetzmann, bassist William Parker, drummer Hamid Drake. The album contained one lengthy 67-minute improvisation in two parts, Little Birds Have Fast Hearts. It became the name of the quartet, which later released Little Birds Have Fast Hearts No 1 (november 1997 - FMP, 1998), Little Birds Have Fast Hearts No 2 (november 1997 - FMP, 1999), Aoyama Crows (FMP, 2002).
Other recordings include: the six-movement suite Panta Rhei (Racing Club International, 1994), the live album Kobe 17.01.95 (Eikoh, 1996), Variations of the Theme - The Divine Comedy (Alchemia, 1997), that contains six remixes of the title-track, Ki-Oku (Sony, 1998), a collaboration with DJ Krush, Nerve Tripper (2003), a collaboration with DJ Sahib on turntables, etc.
Charged (R&S, 1999), Spiritual Nature (2001), Re-Charged (R&S, 2001) are collaborations with Eraldo Bernocchi and Bill Laswell. Life Space Death (Meta, 2001) is only with Bill Laswell.
Fukyo (Tzadik, 2005) returned to the solo trumpet format but, alas, fragmented in brief pieces that are mostly meaningless.
Renzoku Jump (2022)
collects several improvisations from 1978-2000 by duos and trios with the likes of
Henry Kaiser on guitar, Greg Goodman on piano and John Oswald on alto sax.
Electric Trumpet documents (CD 1) a collection of ten solo trumpet compositions recorded in August 2020, and (CD 2) a live August 2005 performance with Bill Laswell (bass), Hideo Yamaki (drums) and Yoshinobu Kojima (keyboards).
Kondo died in 2020 at the age of 71.
