Hiromi Solo Live At Blue Note New York Rar [PATCHED]

Jazz and blues pianist/vocalist/composer Mose Allison has been described as "one of the finest songwriters of 20th century blues." This 1978 live recording features Allison playing his usual repertoire, in a trio with bassist Tom Rutley (bass) and drummer Jerry Granelli (drums). Since Allison only recorded one album during the years 1973 to 1981, this well-recorded live set is quite valuable.

hiromi solo live at blue note new york rar

"1976 was a great year for re-iteration of the Flying Burrito Brothers having the opportunity to travel throughout the USA celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the founding of the United States. Though Gram Parsons wasn't around anymore, Chris Hillman embarked on a solo career, and Chris Ethridge had just departed this band, we had some great guys that just happened to be real familiar with the 'Burrito' mentality. It all came together quite spectacularly! To begin, Gib Guilbeau was my life-long pal and Cajun guy par excellence. Gene Parsons, formerly of the Byrds, was he drummer from hell who lifted the excitement to the limit (and picked a great banjo and string bender guitar. What can I say about Joel Scott Hill? A rebel? A reverent fanatic? A soulful and emotional artist? ALL of the above! Then there is Skip Battin, who just joined the band whom everyone loved and called friend who provided very original bass and vocal support. All these cuts are genuine items from a live performance at New York City's legendary "Bottom Line" club with all the warts AND magical moments. No fix ups and no apologies. Just real music and true enthusiasm. This was the way it was when he hit the road in 1976!"- "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, 2001

This concert was shot at Marciac Jazz Festival, France, in 2011, the same year when the first Trio Project studio album Voice was released. The keyboardist is accompanied by American bassist Anthony Jackson (b. 1952), a session veteran since the seventies, and British drummer Simon Phillips (b. 1957), undoubtedly known by many prog listeners for having worked with Mike Oldfield, Mike Rutherford and Toto among others. So, we're dealing with virtuoso musicianship here. But sadly, the bass was mixed too low and it was almost inaudible through the whole concert, at least to my ears. Even on the solo spots the instrument's sound was tiny. The sonic density created by Hiromi's piano (and occasional synths) and Phillips' gorgeous drumming seemed to leave the bass somewhere behind. This really bothered me a bit.The set list of roughly an hour-long concert consists only of seven pieces, five of them from the mentioned Voice album, very understandably so since the trio was pretty young at the time. Among them is the playful jazz version of the well-known slow movement of the "Pathetique" Piano Sonata No. 8 by Beethoven. That piece concentrates very sovereignly on Hiromi's improvisation-like pianism, the rhythm section mostly giving a steady, mild backing. The music of this concert in general is dynamic, fusion-ish contemporary jazz with a relatively strong contribution from the drummer. What I perhaps missed a bit were more delicate and emotionally deeper moments. Probably I was in advance too excited by the idea of the entire Hiromi concert (as opposed to youtube clips) and wasn't as fully impressed by the longish pieces as I had hoped. But if you're more acquainted with Hiromi and her Trio Project in particular, your enjoyment is probably bigger.The special feature is placed at the end of the film instead of a separate bonus feature spot -- if that matters anything. Well, otherwise I most likely would have started viewing from there, as an appetizer. The 20-minute 'Five Days, Five Countries' is a typical concert DVD extra as it follows the trio on their European tour. Stepping out of a plane, driving on a car (Simon Phillips making jokes of going the wrong way), making soundchecks on the various venues and solving technical problems, giving short clips of the gigs, etc. Jackson and Phillips are not much interviewed at all, and also Hiromi's interview remains pretty short. She says how much she loves performing for the live audience and that she likes visiting various countries and also feels positive about the diversity of the venues themselves, some of them very 'classical' halls, some more club-like places.Musically very good stuff, sure, but as a DVD this is somewhere between three and four stars for me. social review comments Review PermalinkPosted Tuesday, January 18, 2022 Review this album Report (Review #2673477)

Going back to what I said about Hiromi's spirit in a live setting, that same spirit absolutely translates to the studio on Alive. The playing is often highly precise and tight, but as the pianist whirls around the backing band on the ivories, each influence and layer unfolds slowly and delicately. One minute we're listening to the free jazz powerhouse of "Player," with its wildly shifting tempos and rhythms, but then we get a track like "Warrior" that plays out as a delicious pairing of jazz fusion and progressive rock. We also get a decent helping of classical (particularly romantic-era) to even things out, especially on the intimate balladry of "Firefly." To say Hiromi's playing has personality is an understatement, and the sense of atmosphere she brings to Alive is one of the biggest reasons to listen to it. Opening title track "Alive" is an amazing way to reveal her compositional and instrumental talents, storming in as a powerful statement of intent with its flashy piano runs and drum rolls. Once the proverbial smoke clears, the precision and sense of dynamics displayed by the trio is incredibly palpable. Even at nine minutes, the tune never feels like a drag to get through. But more importantly, it basically serves as an all-encompassing taste of what you'll hear throughout the album.Speaking of the trio, the two other musicians are fantastic as well. Anthony Jackson (bass) and Simon Phillips (drums) are a phenomenal fit to round out the group, playing complex motifs and chord progressions as tightly and neatly as they can. And yet, much like Hiromi, you can hear a ton of personality in their performances. I love when solos and jam sessions play out like miniature conversations akin to bickering with one another, and jazz is often quite loaded with these moments. Just listen to the slow rolling bass of "Player," for instance. It sounds mischievous and almost sleazy combined with the subtle drumwork in the background, and the wacky piano licks provide an amazing counterpoint to the slow, lumbering bass lines beneath. These guys can also adapt to different moods and atmospheres incredibly well, such as when the energetic title track is succeeded by a much more subtle and understated tune like Wanderer. The song still has its flashy moments, but the overall feel is much more plaintive and melancholic, even down to how the fast piano and bass runs are executed. It often plays out like a jazz/classical mix, and the trio as a whole is incredibly adept at switching between the genres at will. With songs like "Wanderer" and "Warrior" in particular, it's pretty amazing how well beauty and technicality collide on Alive.As of this point, Hiromi's been involved in a ton of projects. I could go on for hours about how influential she is in both her home country and the jazz world, as well as the fact that she's performed with big names like Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Japanese pop legend Akiko Yano. But if you want an amazing index of what Hiromi Uehara is all about, Alive is a wonderful way to get acquainted with her work. It's the kind of album that displays just how much weight and power her work has in the world of jazz fusion, and it's still among my favorite albums in that very genre. If you have even the slightest bit of interest in jazz or even progressive rock, this is a fantastic one to pick up. social review comments Review PermalinkPosted Sunday, January 10, 2021 Review this album Report (Review #2492531)

"Spectrum"s track titles all have to do with color. Hiromi's piano teacher told her to think of the music she plays as shades of color, and this is what she wanted to portray on this album. Hiromi also says that playing a totally solo piano album exposes the artist much more because there is nothing else there to cover up any weaknesses or mistakes. It also means that the artist has to act as the other instruments such as bass, percussion, guitar and such. The album consists of 9 solo tracks and has a total run time of over 73 minutes.The album starts with "Kaleidoscope" which instantly proves that Hiromi is unique and has an amazing style that will make you think you are listening to more than just a piano. If this is your first time hearing her, you will notice how she can change her touch on the keys to make it almost sound like another instrument, and she adjusts her touch and style so seamlessly and smoothly. This is unlike any solo piano album because of her variety of delivery that makes it sound so layered like an entire small group of instruments playing along with her. Not only that, but she is technically amazing with her fast notes, her ability to utilize dynamics, and her amazing phrasing where she can play smoothly in one hand and use the other hand to play staccato and pizzicato and whatever else she does. It's all quite amazing. This track features several very fast passages that utilize the entire range of the keyboard. Hopefully, this amazing delivery translates to non-keyboard players, but I know, being a keyboardist pretty much my entire life, that Hiromi is quite amazing in both technicality and dynamics"Whiteout" is a much lighter piece that flows around like light flying snow falling through the air. It is slightly more traditional sounding, but Hiromi's touch is so light that the piano again becomes it's own orchestra. As the track continues, it becomes more rhapsodic and dynamic, but the flair is not necessarily classical as much as it is jazz, similar to Gershwin's style, but also, at times, inspired by the Moonlight Sonata's famous motif. "Yellow Wurlitzer Blues" has a bright sound based on a boogie/blues/ragtime style. It's fun and playful, upbeat and jazzy. "Spectrum" is more along the lines of a fusion style, thick and complex, very much like a Keith Emerson style, but again, she adds her own unique manner to it, doing things to the keys that produce some different sounds and textures that you don't normally hear from a piano. Notes fly from her fingers faster than the mind can move."Blackbird" again goes for a lighter sound, soft and flowing. "Mr. C.C." is a piece based on her experience of improvising over a Charlie Chaplin silent movie. It moves to a fast flowing old-time jazz style, a bit comedic and playful, strongly based on a ragtime style with a slow, dramatic finish. "Once in a Blue Moon" returns to the jazz/blues style and a more improvised feeling, speed is moderate, but the notes still fly around quickly and she often returns to the main theme of the track. The centerpiece of the album is the 22 minute track "Rhapsody in Various Shades of Blue" which is a medley of famous themes brought together in one piece. It starts with her take on "Rhapsody in Blue", of course, from Gerswin. Her amazing use of dynamics is what makes this track great, and again you almost think you are listening to a full band. She flows through the infamous themes of Rhapsody in Blue with ease and grace. As the track goes along she brings in various themes and jazz renditions of other famous songs and styles, always coming back around to riffs from the Gershwin Rhapsody. "Sepia Effect" is the final track on the album. It has a beautiful melody and nice arpeggio pattern playing underneath it. Very lovely and appropriate ending for this colorful and exciting albumOn this album, Hiromi's style is strongly based on melody and improvising off of that melody, not just random improvisation, but each track is tied to strong, yet interesting themes. This also helps with the feeling of variety, along with the fact that her varied playing keeps everything interesting, giving each track its own personality. That doesn't mean to say that she doesn't do a lot of her own improvising, as there is quite a bit of that here to. But the most important thing is the amount of variety on the album, moving around to different styles, and always adding her unique touch to everything. Her playing will convince you that there are times that you are hearing more than just a piano, but that is all it is, and with her dynamics and ability to suddenly shift from one style to another with smoothness and grace is just amazing. Hiromi is quite amazing and one of the best keyboardists alive on the planet at the moment. Hopefully she will get the recognition she deserves as she should be up there with the best of them. social review comments Review PermalinkPosted Thursday, October 17, 2019 Review this album Report (Review #2270446) 350c69d7ab