Having
loved all of Hiromi’s albums to date, I have for years been trying desperately
to attend one of her concerts – in any format; be it solo, in a trio, with her
electric Sonicbloom group, duetting…
Alas,
I’ve been thwarted for about five years, with various issues and other events
getting in the way. This year seemed to be no different either, with my wedding
and honeymoon seemingly topping three nights of Hiromi live in London in the
importance stakes. Luckily I’ve married the right woman, who was more than
happy to attend a gig of some of the most exuberant piano jazz artists of the
moment during our honeymoon.
I’ve
attended Cadogan Hall in Sloane Square too (very upmarket – go for a drink
elsewhere first rather than locally) before, and approved of the venue; about a
thousand people capacity, very good sound, excellent views for anyone in the
audience, and very easy to get to (one minute walk from the tube), it’s a
fantastic live music choice.
No
support, and with the trio walking straight on to the stage, to thunderous
applause, the trio of Hiromi Uehara, Anthony Jackson, and Simon Philips dived
right in to playing some incredible dexterous and complex music, that managed
to be both exhilarating and playful.
Playing
largely a mix of music of her ‘Voice’ and ‘Move’ albums, which both Jackson and
Philips have played with the pianist on, the group also played a few tunes from
the upcoming ‘Alive’. Another welcome variance though was that it wasn’t just
always the trio playing – after a short interval following the first half of
the show, just Hiromi herself returned for the first number of the second half,
and it was a winner from start to finish. Playing a typically dazzling array of
notes, Hiromi did so in a way that created a kind of slow yet up-tempo glittering
waterfall of piano that rose and fell, and went all kind of directions. Keith
Jarrett may be the reigning king of the solo piano, but on the evidence
tonight, the just 34 years old Hiromi could very much give him a run for his
money.
Hiromi
is without doubt an incredible pianist, but aside from her technical prowess,
it is also her winningly fun personality that comes through that really makes
her music. And tonight, this was in abundance – musically and visually. And you
certainly won’t see any player having more fun on stage. Throughout Hiromi
leapt about the piano and displayed a wild abandon in showing a full range of
facial expressions (though to fair, mostly a big smile).
An
even better bonus however is the band. Anthony Jackson and Simon Philips have
already astounded on record, but live they excel. Jackson plays a relatively
rare contra-bass guitar, that possesses a truly great range and sound, and in
Jacksons hands, is something truly awe-inspiring, while Philips’ drumming (and drum
kit) was just huge; able to play subtle and quiet one minute, and loud and
driving the next, he has a great show stopping range and easily matched his two
band mates in virtuosity and skill. Together though they made a killer unit,
playing together and interweaving with wonderful finesse.
Overall
the whole night was a great show, and huge fun. Somehow Hiromi managed to play
jazz, and not yet jazz, taking in classical, rock, a little salsa,
blues…anything went, and it went well. The audience all looked like they were
having a fantastic time, applause was loud and plentiful, and the entire band
looked invigorated and happy throughout.
The
gig was over all too soon, and the encore was a wonderful thank you, but in all
honesty everyone almost certainly wanted a whole lot more. I’d always expected
to love Hiromi as a live performer, and on this night I was not only not let
down, but was even further bowled over – not just by her playing, but by her
groups, their interplay, and just by the sheer musicality on display. I really must
catch her and her ‘Trio Project’ again.
No comments:
Post a Comment