Run, Bird 
Sing, Bird 
Fly, Bird 
 

The Fuzzy Bird Sonata was composed in 1991 and dedicated to the Japanese saxophonist Nobuya Sugawa. Yoshimatsu was initially self-taught as a composer, inspired by hearing European classical composers, but his own style developed into a distinctive musical language which also draws on elements of jazz. The first movement of the Fuzzy Bird Sonata (‘Run, Bird’) is propulsive and exciting (with a moment of calm at its centre), making virtuoso demands on both players. In the second movement (‘Sing, Bird’), an expansive saxophone melody is heard over piano chords. ‘Fly, Bird’ begins hesitantly, before gradually gaining momentum, enabling the bird to take flight.   

© Nigel Simeone