Who doesn’t like to follow up their lunch with a little bit of frenetic three-piece jazz? The answer should be nobody, because there are few acts at Fuji Rock this year (or out there in general) quite like H ZETTRIO.

Brainchild of H ZETT M (Masayu Hizumi) of the defunct ‘samurai jazz’ band PE’Z, this group has a long standing reputation as a world-class jazz trio, and their Red Marquee show saw them in rare form. At once meticulous and chaotic, it was a full-force set that wouldn’t fail to paint a smile on even the sourest of pusses. Hizumi plays like he was born to do it, his body a kinetic embodiment of the music he is channeling as his feet dance and his body sways. His competency with structure in his playing allows for his soloing and color work to add layers without taking away from the core. A real master.

While Hizumi may be the heart of the band, with his free-wheeling fingers on the ivories, the group is just that… a group. The style hopping, propulsive percussion of H ZETT KOU drove the songs with just the right amount of flourish, while H ZETT NIRE‘s bass kept things grounded when needed and let things fly when it was his time to shine. A mid-set extended solo into a largely bass driven tune showed off just what chops he has. Nearly each song dipped its toes into ponds of different genre, from the Latin influenced Sixth Lunar Month, to the Coney Island jazz of Blueberry Jam. As they say, if you don’t like the weather, just wait around a minute.

The group was also not afraid to make interesting sonic decisions, like adding crunchy synthesized keyboard effects to a breakdown here and there, or straying away from head on jazz into more rock structured moments. Toward the end of the set the crowd even began spontaneously clapping to keep the rhythm, a sound for sore ears after live music’s recent hibernation. And, of course, nothing gets a crowd up and on their feet like a jazzy cover of the opening of Also Sprach Zarathustra.

In the end, it was a performance that never slowed down or let up, and which set the toes a-tapping. An experience which left behind a little bit of rhythm in the hearts and on the steps of those lucky enough to have been in attendance.