Spark / Hiromi

SPARK, IN A TRANCE, TAKE ME AWAY, WONDERLAND, INDULGENCE, DILEMMA, WHAT WILL BE,WILL BE, WAKE UP AND DREAM, ALLS WELL

One of the greatest pleasures in life is listening to Japanese pianist and composer Hiromi with her stellar Trio Project consisting of Anthony Jackson on bass and Simon Phillips on drums. There just isn’t anything like it. Although there are certainly elements of jazz, fusion, and classical throughout Hiromi’s music, trying to categorize any of her musical journeys only cheapens the experience. Hiromi’s latest album Spark is out in Japan now and won’t be released in America until April 1st, but I was too excited by this album to wait until spring. More people need to learn about this amazing talent. The first word that comes to mind when I listen to Spark is poetry. Her solo piano tells many stories and provides the listener with such vivid and extraordinary imagery. When listening to the title track, “In A Trance” and “Take Me Away”, it’s abundantly clear that she can take the music anywhere. And she does so with such an impeccable sense of dynamics, intelligence, and soul. And Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips fearlessly accompany her on her every journey with precision and love. Hiromi doesn’t simply approach the piano in an “orthodox” manner. She’ll repeat a motif until it becomes part of your subconscious mind, often playing the piano like some unexplored percussion instrument. “Wonderland”, “Dilemma”, and “All’s Well” are prime examples of this. She’ll then play the most fluid, swinging lines imaginable. She even plays above the bar line and makes it sound effortless. “Indulgence” is sweet, funky, syncopated and delicate, yet sly in a way that’s gloriously understated. Hiromi’s music is so witty and full of personality; a trait that’s missing in so much of the music being marketed in the contemporary jazz world today. Just listen to “What will be, will be” and you’ll agree with me. Hiromi’s use of the synthesizer on this piece is just as original and exploratory as her acoustic piano work. The overall sound of the trio is magic. “Wake Up And Dream” is this haunting solo piano lullaby with so many colors and textures. Spark is Hiromi’s tenth album as a leader. This recording proves that she is without a doubt one of the most original and exciting artists in any genre of music with a brilliant trio. If the music world misses out on this one, there’s really not much hope.

Price: $16.98