Smith has been a superlative duo partner over time – with Anthony Braxton, Marion Brown and Vijay Iyer among others– and this session with Japanese drummer Toyozumi is a noteworthy addition to the discography. Though both men did not have prior experience of playing together they established a strong rapport at this small town hall in Yamaguchi, Japan, which shows the broad imagination and moderation of each. Toyozumi is something of a revelation for his largely economic approach to the kit. He has a carefully measured use of cymbals and kick so that there is a solidly warm, but not obtrusive, throb against which Smith’s glancing melodies are cast. As is the case with the best freely-improvised sessions, the players let their hearts run free all the while keeping their minds very concentrated, and the passages in which Toyozumi slips from broken rhythms to chunky, funky eighths and then a more fluid pulse, are thrilling. A rarity worth investigation.