This is Japanese composer/pianist Hiromi’s 10th album as the leader of a group, and this is her fourth with the Trio Project that she has been working with for about 5 years. This is a very daring project and explores many inner realms and emotions. Hiromi is on piano, Simon Phillips on drums, and Anthony Jackson, contrabass guitarist, and they are very comfortable and have great confidence in one another. This is Hiromi from Japan, Anthony from the United States, and Simon from England each with their own pedigree. Comfortable enough to take great risks and go on extended journeys to unknown destinations and yet these journeys are not pointless variations but solid destinations, even if they didn’t know where the end of it would be when they started out.
This is a group that takes the tunes they are playing most all written by Hiromi, and explores them thoroughly and differently each time. They have that rare ability to take the tune and explore it as if it is the first time they are investigating it together and exploring all the possibilities that exist in the song. At the same time they play it as if it is the last time they will be playing it together and they want to satisfy themselves, the harshest critics, that they have explored every bit of their imaginations together concerning the song. It is risky but this group has the ability to pull it off. Each one of these musicians is a master of improvisation within the group, and has the ability to discover new avenues with which to push the group to new heights, pushing back any limits.
At times funky, sometimes dynamic, indulgent, fast, slow, free form/floating, vivid, alive, constantly growing and always thought provoking. All of the compositions start as Hiromi’s and then the dynamics of the band filter and pull it in different directions. As dynamic as the group is on disc wait until you see them in person.
by bob gottlieb
Hiromi – Spark, Concord Music Group
