Alive - Hiromi (2014)

Ideated from: I keep a playlist called “inbox” where I dump anything that I am reminded of or might want to go back to or that I just read about and want to check out. Problem is, it’s currently got 112 hours of music on it, and I don’t get to it often. So this week I’m clearing out the oldest entries from the Inbox.

Hiromi Uehara just goes by the one name for the most part. She is one of those jazz artists that you’re unlikely to hear a lot about, partly because she doesn’t easily fit into a genre description and partly because she’s such a huge talent everybody who knows about her figures you already do as well. But she’s an absolutely visionary pianist and composer. She has a pop sensibility, but brings a lot of technical skill to it to make it complex and colorful.

I’ve listened to a fair amount of jazz piano trios over the years. I would have thought that nothing would surprise me. I was wrong. Hiromi is just different than other pianists. She has an amazing mind that runs all over the place from soft melodies to crashing runs. That mind seems uncommonly connected to her hands, with everything flowing expressively and without hesitation. And the connection extends to her bandmates, Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips. The unit runs so seamlessly through tempo and style changes it sounds almost like a single person playing all three parts.

Each of the tracks has a specific idea behind it. They each branch out, and take turns, but each is cohesive and identifiable set against the others.

A stunningly deep and original record, whether you’re a jazz fan or not.

Tracks I Liked

Alive - a mysterious intro that keeps you guessing until it drops into a wildly complex main course.

Seeker - has a bit of a Paul McCartney feel to it, with short punchy lyrical phrases and popping, bouncy rhythmic lines

Spirit - slower and more soulful than the others, with an extended bass workout. The ending is transcendent.