The summer jazz season is starting a little early this year. Even before the annual deluge of talent filling Japan's many festivals and clubs, two tours this May will more than whet the appetite for the busy summer season.

Pianist Don Friedman leaped into the West Coast jazz scene when it was in full swing. Playing with "big orange" jazz giants like Dexter Gordon and Chet Baker in the '50s, he eventually moved to New York where his work with Joe Henderson, Herbie Mann and Clark Terry only confirmed his artistry. He has continued to play, teach and record there ever since. Incorporating both the relaxed cool of the West and the intense hard bop of the East, Friedman has a wonderfully lyrical style that is strong at even the fastest tempos. For this tour, he will work with just bass and drums, as he did on last year's excellent "Waltz for Debby." On Friedman's previous tours of Japan, his sure-fingered playing ignited every solo. At the end of this tour they'll be honored by a "505 session" to be broadcast on NHK.

Dave Pietro is no stranger to Japan either. He has toured here often with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra. Long a proving ground for the best young jazz talent, the lead alto sax spot in Akiyoshi's groups is no small deal. Pietro's 2001 release, "Standard Wonder," was a beautiful tribute to Stevie Wonder. For this tour, Pietro will be joined by old friend Jonathan Katz, who lives in Tokyo and continues to grace the local scene with his versatility on piano (and occasionally the French horn). Katz has recorded here with the unique and popular group Candela, as well as with his own trio. Joining Pietro and Katz will be bassist Daiki Yasukagawa and drummer Yoshihito Eto, two of the best players in Tokyo. The quartet will record a live CD at the May 22 show.