Atzko Kohashi / Tony Overwater - Porgy

"Art is not merely an act of creation but a journey of discovery." This thought, while its origin remains unclear, is often linked to the philosophies of Pablo Picasso and Wassily Kandinsky. It reflects the belief that art is not an act of creating something new out of
nothing but rather a process of uncovering something that already exists—within oneself, within the material, or within the world. Art, in this sense, is a journey of discovery.

This very idea resonates with our approach to this album. It is about finding new beauty within something already familiar. Just as painters repeatedly depict the same subject from different perspectives, we revisited a single beloved piece of music, exploring it from
multiple angles to uncover new surprises. This journey of rediscovery became the foundation of this album.

At the heart of this project lies "I Loves You, Porgy," a timeless composition from George Gershwin’s 1935 folk opera Porgy and Bess. The melody, built on just five simple notes, is unforgettable—a testament to Gershwin’s genius. Inspired by its charm, we decided to
center our album around this piece. While "I Loves You, Porgy" has been a staple for countless jazz musicians, our approach was not merely to improvise on it. Instead, we aimed to create "variants"—transformative interpretations that grew from this iconic piece. It’s a unique exploration inspired by Geroge Gershwin.

Gershwin himself, when composing Porgy and Bess, threw himself into the local music of Charleston, South Carolina, where the story is set. Similarly, we dug deep into his original score and were amazed at its simplicity and ingenuity. Using that simplicity as a foundation, we reimagined the melody, harmonic structure, tonality, and rhythm, weaving in our own ideas. Each piece that emerged is distinct in character, yet all are intrinsically connected to "I Loves You, Porgy."

After years of performing primarily as a piano and bass duo—playing at national and international jazz festivals, touring abroad, and releasing two highly acclaimed albums, Crescent (2022) and A Drum Thing (2023)—we felt it was time to add other voices to our sound. For this recording, we were fortunate to have two exceptional musicians join us: Michael Moore, a highly acclaimed reed player, and Sebastiaan Kaptein, an outstanding drummer. Their contributions brought newfound freedom and vibrancy to the music, allowing Porgy to resonate with a rich palette of colors and textures.