The second trio is the Hiromi – The Trio Project led by the Japanese firecracker pianist/keyboardist Hiromi Uehara. Playing with her is the Sriracha hot percussionist Simon Philips and the brilliantly steady bass guitarist Anthony Jackson. Hiromi wrings intensity and complexity from her keyboards, all bam but absolutely no boozle, no cheap frills, only inventive melodies and pulsing thrills. Jackson on his six string bass guitar builds a foundation of stable sound under the lavishly quaking keyboards and drums. Philips exuberantly beats the drums to life with an array of inventive percussive sounds.
This is jazz worthy of watching as well as listening. Hiromi plays with her whole body. Her fingers flicker like playfully self-controlled fireflies across the keys of her grand piano and electronic keyboard. At times she stands up to the whites and blacks for more leverage and power, or more likely, out of sheer enthusiasm. Her shoulders, neck, and head dance in harmony with a face radiant with concentration, eyes sometimes closed and when open sparkling, mouth tasting sound as it streams between keyboards, drums, and bass guitar. At first I thought I was listening to a cacophony of chaos until I realized it was carefully orchestrated by three musicians disciplined enough to make their collaboration sound spontaneous as it tumbled in and out of improvisation.
The sound these three make is big stage/big audience loud yet with space at soft end of the volume spectrum for the intricately melodic and the soulful.
You will find them at Hiromi The Trio Project.