Fragile is the seventh leader album by the Japanese pianist Junko Onishi, released on September 23, 1998, in Japan. It was re-released on May 4, 1999, by Blue Note Records.
Reception.
In a review for AllMusic, Tim Sheridan wrote: "Onishi gets into a classic rock groove on this disc... Her fervent piano attack in particular keeps the disc consistently interesting."
The authors of "The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings" called the album "a fun record for Onishi," but noted that it "sidles into self-indulgence at points."
A reviewer for "Billboard" stated that, on the album, Onishi "forgoes tradition and lets the fun fly." They commented: "The results are infectious, as the individual tracks open, develop, and eventually burn with enthusiasm."
The "Australian Financial Review"'s Shane Nichols called the music "an interesting dip into the past," and remarked: "It's no secret that Onishi swings; this album proves she rocks too."
A writer for the "Orlando Weekly" described the album as "a jam-intensive adventure," noting that Onishi "has made a startling leap from sublime acoustic post-bop to sonic terrain largely associated with '70s fusion and contemporary groove-jazz."
Writing for "All About Jazz", David Adler stated: "I've never been a fan of the rock cover trend in the jazz world. The concept has sent many a fine jazz CD off the tracks, and it manages nearly to ruin this one entirely." Another "AAJ" reviewer commented: ""Fragile" is ironically quite pliable and coarse at times, wielding an oft-unwieldy arsenal of moods and sounds which occasionally (and admittedly) lose their sense of form and function."
References.
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