Friendly Pants finds Sakata, now 65 years young, as agile and observant as ever. Joined by the equally virtuosic duo of Darin Gray on double bass and Chris Corsano on drums—here known by the collective name of Chikamorachi—Sakata's heartfelt blasts of alto saxophone find a rhythm section more than competent to bring seduction to post-bop jazz.
In a classic episode of Seinfeld, the battle of the sexes reaches a tipping point when Jerry lets it be known to an associate of Elaine's boyfriend that he believes her relationship with the saxophonist to be "hot and heavy," which in turns leads to the jazz virtuoso to unveil a new song titled "Hot and Heavy" and doing the unspeakable act he has once refused to do. Yet even a sitcom can display the powerful emotions of jazz, especially with the emotive tenors of the saxophone. Whether Akira Sakata is involved in a hot and heavy relationship is only known to those closest to him but there is no denying that those pangs are ever-present on Friendly Pants, Sakata's first U.S. release in 20 years.
Any listener with a modicum of jazz knowledge will instantly recognize the influences that flow through Sakata's spit valve. Friendly Pants is a journey through late '60s and early '70s bop with a zeal rarely found in modern jazz, which tends to focus on experimentation, electronics, and jamming. The key to Sakata's frantic but organized eruptions are Gray and Corsano, who keep the urges to explode with Sakata in check. There are moments when the ecstasy is too great to combat, such as the energetic "In Case, Let's Go to Galaxy," but the orgy of fractured saxophone, machine gun snare rolls, and cymbal splashes are countered by Gray's poise.
For the few moments of unrestrained bombasity, there are far more focused movements to discover. "That Day of Rain" is a bebop delight, keeping the pace quick but the melody mellow. It's James Dean or Steve McQueen—always unflappable while the shitstorm rains down around them. "Un" is 12 minutes of cigarette smoke and cheap bourbon in a 1950s Greenwich. Sakata pays tribute to Kind of Blue with drawn out notes and a slow roll. The trio work as one, capturing the elegant strokes of jazz's heyday without completely abandoning new world charm.
It's a tender balancing act; one Sakata, Corsano, and Gray have mastered well through numerous collaborations and releases, but it all comes to glorious fruition within Friendly Pants. The idea that is has taken 20 years for Sakata's music to reach American shores once more is a sad thought but we can be glad that Friendly Pants will serve as a constant reminder that the best the jazz world has to offer will always find its way back home.
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