Sq. Enix Jazz -Remaining Fantasy- marks the beginning of a long-running collection of outstanding, jazzy albums with a core group of musicians behind the entire run. I’m a music lover, however in some way managed to miss a lot of this collection for almost a decade. I’m selecting to acknowledge and treatment this oversight, beginning with a deep dive into this very album.
Let’s begin by having a look on the tracklist. With so many Remaining Fantasy titles on the market, one wonders what one may discover on any FF collection organized album. The excellent news is there’s loads of range right here. The crew behind this album affords at the very least one association per foremost numbered entry throughout the primary ten FFs. Properly, not each single one. On the time, Remaining Fantasy VII was a noteworthy absence. Nevertheless, that was all a part of the plan! The FFVII preparations are absent right here as a result of they had been already planning a standalone FFVII jazz album. In order for you FFVII solely, try that album!
So, sure, one monitor minimal for I by X, after which surprisingly, two tracks from Remaining Fantasy XIII: “Blinded By Gentle” and “Serah’s Theme.” Sadly, no XI, XII, XIV, and even XV, which was the newest entry on the time of this album’s launch. Personally, I’d’ve beloved to see how they’d jazzify some Hitoshi Sakimoto tracks from Remaining Fantasy XII. Ah properly!
Subsequent up, let’s discuss a bit concerning the crew. All the Sq. Enix Jazz lineup is the brainchild of the duo Eijiro Nakagawa (trombone) and Ryu Kawamura (bass). Alongside being completed musicians as a part of the core set of instrumentalists, Nakagawa and Kawamura dealt with the preparations for each monitor on this album and each different album with the Sq. Enix Jazz moniker. Previous to having fun with this album, I’d already heard the SaGa and Chrono Set off albums.
And let me say, these are very proficient arrangers. They perceive that the purpose of arranging a well-recognized melody for jazz is to ask alternative for surprises with out shedding sight of the core musical construction. Improvise, change timing, tinker with the intervals in a melody, reharmonize: sure, that’s all good, however don’t destroy what the music was within the course of. That’s the fragile stability in any good jazz association.
Alongside this duo, we now have guitar, drums, keys, trumpet, sax, after which some featured performances on particular person tracks with flute, clarinet, violin, and even vocals (sure, you noticed “Melodies of Life” within the tracklist, didn’t you?)! The core seven instrumentalists, with the occasional options, are all it takes to place collectively some attractive, layered preparations. So with out additional ado… let’s get to the preparations themselves!
I’ll begin with my favourite from the bunch: “Battle With the 4 Fiends” from Remaining Fantasy IV is a top-tier association. So far as battle themes go, I feel this was a pure choose. The music is so malleable; you are able to do a lot with it. And Ryu Kawamura, who dealt with the association, determined to do many issues within the record of “a lot.”
My favourite amongst them is the selection to drag again the entire crew to only two or three devices (piano, drums, perhaps a soloist) for a small portion— simply eight measures or so —forcing the listener to lean to listen to the melody. It catches you off guard, and when the band bursts again in, it’s at simply the best time. Talking of timing, the monitor additionally performs with straights vs swing time, becoming the melody into totally different time signatures, and usually simply havin’ a good time. Rubicante and mates have an incredible new backing monitor, they usually deserve it.
The aforementioned “Blinded By Gentle” (FFXIII) is that this album’s opener. Put merely, if you’re aware of the opening theme music for the Cowboy Bebop anime (“Tank!”), then you realize what you’re entering into. Latin-infused with the hand drums, up-tempo big-band jazz with only a contact of trademark bebop. The spectacular a part of this association is how properly arranger Eijiro Nakagawa made that wall of sound present up with such a restricted variety of performers.
The star of the present is completely Eric Miyashiro on trumpet. Actually, close to the top of the piece, Miyashiro does this positively insane dip and quick chromatic ascent into the very best vary, and I assumed to myself: “That sounds *precisely* like ‘Resistance Line’ from Wild Arms 2!” So I checked, and… guess who’s credited for trumpet on Wild Arms 2 (and many of the Wild Arms collection for that matter)? That’s proper, it’s Miyashiro.
And guess what else? Miyashiro is credited as a member of The Seatbelts, the band that recorded the whole Cowboy Bebop soundtrack with Yoko Kanno! Miyashiro wasn’t a member of the group on the time of the unique Cowboy Bebop recording, however he’s a present member who recorded for the Netflix adaptation and is a part of the 2026 touring group that performed at Anime Boston and Kings Theater (New York Metropolis). All this to say, Eric Miyashiro is a tremendous trumpet participant and he stole the present on “Blinded By Gentle.” What a champ.
One other music legend showing on this album? Percussionist Tappi Iwase. I’m used to seeing his title spelled “Tappy Iwase” (or typically simply TAPPY). Iwase has been doing composition, association, and recording (drums, keyboard) for many years, beginning with Konami’s Kukeiha Membership within the early ’90s. Iwase composed music for Policenauts, early Suikoden titles, Steel Gear Stable, and extra. As a drummer, he’s recorded for Remaining Fantasy XIII, Gravity Rush 2, and several other prepare albums (Tokimeki Memorial, Star Ocean: The Second Story are stand-outs!).
It was very thrilling to listen to Iwase on this album. For Sq. Enix Jazz -Remaining Fantasy- specifically, Iwase appeared to stay with arranger Ryu Kawamura’s ensembles. Two stand-out spots for Iwase? His work on “Battle on the Large Bridge” (FFV) is ever so exact, marking the begins and stops throughout these enjoyable breaks the place sound results from FFV are piped in so as to add to the zaniness of all of it. Moreover, “Serah’s Theme” (FFXIII) is a superb monitor for Iwase. This one is only a piano trio (piano, bass, drums), and you may hear how completely synchronized Iwase is with Yasumasa Kumagai’s piano work.
And who may deny the power of vocalist Junko Iwao and violinist Yu Manabe on the stand-out monitor “Melodies of Life~Remaining Fantasy” (FFIX)? It is a stylish, jazz-club ballad model of the basic FFIX vocal theme. It’s not flashy or surprising. It’s precisely what you’d need it to be and count on it to be. No frills, simply easy, pristine, and completely price replaying.
Are there any weak tracks on this album? I feel so. And sadly, I feel it’s one which I actually wished to get pleasure from. “Looking for Associates” (FFVI) is a tremendous tune from Nobuo Uematsu. For individuals who may not keep in mind, that is the world map music within the sport’s second half (World of Break), the place you might be, predictably, trying to find mates, making an attempt to regather your celebration that’s been flung to each nook of the world. Nobody can deny how good this music is. However this association? It feels flat. It didn’t shock me or encourage me. I saved ready for the second I may say, “Oh, now it will get good!” That second by no means got here for me.
Even on some much less spectacular songs, the soloists may nonetheless save a less-impressive association—one instance being “The Insurgent Military” (FFII). Sadly, there simply isn’t a lot I discovered redeeming about “Looking for Associates.” I imply… it’s a succesful association. Nobody sounds dangerous. It simply pales compared to the remainder of the album.
So the album’s not good. However man alive, is Sq. Enix Jazz -Remaining Fantasy- a unbelievable begin to an incredible run of organized albums! I really assume this is likely to be the weakest of all of the albums within the collection, and it’s nonetheless spectacular as could be, so I feel that’s a superb signal! The following album on this collection is the hodge-podge, weirdly-named Sq. Enix Jazz Vol.2. I’m wanting ahead to digging into that one with you, pricey reader, within the close to future!
