In a world where the path to commercial success is to play it safe and keep faith in formula, it is only within jazz where being unpredictable is not only a virtue, but an expectation. Hiromi marks her first decade of music-making on her terrific ninth album, Move featuring her Trio Project with bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Simon Phillips.
Reunited with Jackson and Phillips for a second outing after 2011's superb Voice, (Telarc, 2011) the two veteran musicians provide the Japanese pianist with a rhythm section that can not only keep up with her but push her in a way she wasn't by her Sonicbloom band. That is not to disparage the talents of drummer Martin Valihora and bassist Tony Grey, but different players bring different dynamics to a band and in Jackson and Phillips rhythm section, Hiromi's mash-up of post-bop, straight-ahead and rock styles come together in a blistering tour de force.
The majority of Hiromi's recordings are built around a concept and on Move, it's "Time in one day." Think of it not as much of a sequel to Time Control (Telarc, 2007), which focused on a similar theme and featured the ecletic/electric guitar stylings of Dave Fiuczynski, but as an advancement of those themes with the soloing no longer between her piano and Fiuczynski's guitar as it is with Phillips' drums.
Phillips' background is rooted in rock (Toto, The Who, Judas Priest, David Gilmour) and he brings that attitude to his timekeeping, but that doesn't mean he can't swing. Phillips can make it sound pretty when the moment calls for it, but his ferocious approach does take some getting used to. There are traces of Tony Williams and Steve Gadd in the power displays of Phillips as he is given plenty of solo space and he doesn't squander it. Holding down the bass chores, Jackson is more traditional in his role than his partners, but they also serve those who sit back and go about their business with cool professionalism. - Jeff Winbush / allaboutjazz.com
Tracks
01. Move
02. Brand New Day
03. Endeavor
04. Rainmaker
05. Suite Escapism - Reality
06. Suite Escapism - Fantasy
07. Suite Escapism - In Between
08. Margarita!
09. 11:49 PM
HIROMI piano, keyboaard
ANTHONY JACKSON bass
SIMON PHILLIPS drums
Recorded April 18-21, 2012 at Aire Born Studios, Zionsville, Indiana
Telarc Records - TEL-33814-02