HIROMI
Another Mind
Telarc
Read
the Jazzitude Review of Hiromi/Brain
Read the Jazzitude
Review of Hiromi/Spiral
Read the
Jazzitude Review of Hiromi/Time Control
OK, Hiromi Uehara isn’t exactly the
LeBron James of piano players, but she has managed to cut
a recording for a major jazz label before even graduating
from Berklee College of Music (though she was to have graduated
by the time of its release). Having spent a few years as
a jingle-writer for Nissan and other high-profile Japanese
companies, Hiromi came to the U.S. to study. Refusing to
be pushed into one specific category, Hiromi has a high-energy
style that too many jazz artists are lacking.
Put on Another Mind and you are instantly
assaulted with pure energy and talent. “XYZ”
begins with a fast count off and then you are fully submerged
in the Hiromi experience. I can’t remember hearing
another piano trio with such an aggressive agenda recently.
The Bad Plus comes to mind, but Hiromi makes them sound
positively laid back on this powerhouse number. Bassist
Mitch Cohn and drummer Dave DiCenso keep up with her commendably,
not just backing her, but helping to keep the energy level
high. “Double Personality” and “Summer
Rain” add some elements to the trio mix—alto
sax by Jim Odgren and guitar (on “Double Personality”)
by Dave Fiucznski. Hiromi is just as agile in a larger group
as she is in the trio format.
When she returns to the trio sound on “Joy”
it is with a more laid back groove based on blues and gospel
and sounding a bit like the Ramsey Lewis Trio, except that
there’s still a certain gusto there that is all her
own. Anthony Jackson takes over the bass chair, trading
some funky phrases with the pianist, and you’ll be
hard pressed to keep from testifying when you hear this
one. But Hiromi still has more surprises up her sleeve,
as the lengthy “010101 (binary system” demonstrates.
Playing both synthesizer and acoustic piano, Hiromi gives
us something that is part jazz, part pop, part funk, part
electronic music, but never wholly one genre. It is reminiscent
of the best work Herbie Hancock has done in mixing the acoustic
and electric genres, but again it is a wholly original sound.
“I love Bach, I love Oscar Peterson, I love Franz
Liszt, I love Ahmad Jamal,” she says. “I also
love people like Sly and the Family Stone, Dream Theatre
and King Crimson. Also, I’m so much inspired by sports
players like Carl Lewis and Michael Jordan. Basically, I’m
inspired by anyone who has big, big energy.”
And that’s the secret. Hiromi plays
with massive amounts of energy whether she’s playing
something fast and aggressive, something bluesy, or something
more laid back. The styles are different, but the level
of attention is not. Now, you will hear some folks say that
what Hiromi plays is not jazz, that it lacks soul and that
there is no real improvisation. I don’t buy that—sure,
there’s not a lot of straight ahead swing material
here, but Hiromi does provide ample evidence that she can
swing when she wants to, rock when she wants to, and play
in a wide array of styles. Innovative musicians who use
the jazz style as a home base have always had detractors—there
were those who derided Keith Jarrett’s early work,
even while admiring his pianistic technique, and the same
will be true for Hiromi. Though energy isn’t everything,
I believe that she will continue to develop artistic maturity
as her career advances. But in the meantime, listeners can
enjoy her exquisite technique and youthful vigor in the
service of a new and altogether seductive musical statement.
--Marshall Bowden--
