Japan's Quasimode is a sophisticated and rootsy jazz quartet with a sound influenced by '60s and '70s hard bop, Latin, and soul-jazz. They garnered widespread attention with their 2007 album Land of Freedom (featuring vocalist Carmen Lundy), and have continued to explore originals alongside vibrant renditions of standards and contemporary songs, as on 2009's Mode of Blue and 2014's My Favorite Songs. Formed in 2002 in Tokyo, Quasimode features the talents of pianist Yusuke Hirado, bassist Kazuhiro Sunaga, percussionist Takahiro "Matzz" Matsuoka, and drummer Takashi Okutsu. The quartet debuted in 2006 with Oneself Likeness. They gained wider attention with 2007's Land of Freedom, which featured a guest spot from singer Carmen Lundy and saw them expanding their sound with explosive big-band arrangements. More well-received albums followed, including 2009's Mode of Blue, 2011's Magic Ensemble, and 2013's Soul Cookin'. In 2014 they released My Favorite Songs, which found them playing classic standards along with more contemporary covers by Radiohead, Snow Patrol, and Stevie Wonder. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi