Chihiro Yamanaka: Lach Doch Mal

Feb 16, 2024

Pianist Chihiro Yamanaka’s thrilling series of jazz albums continues with her fifth audio release Lach Doch Mal, released in 2006 on Verve with twelve tracks at just under an hour’s runtime. A special edition CD release also contains an extra DVD containing an extra version of one of the songs.

Like Yamanaka’s previous albums, Lach Doch Mal contains a mix of originals and covers rearranged in her creative style. Fans of her previous four albums know that her amazing piano improvisation and technique are a feature of her albums, and this release is no exception.

While her contemporary jazz and bop trio sound is the primary recorded sound, Yamanaka adds some additional layers with some light guitar, extra percussion, and groovy electric keyboards on a few tracks as well.

Yamanaka’s piano technique is exciting and powerful as always, racing through the shifting jazz terrain like a high-speed vehicle dangerously hugging the curves along cliffside roads. About half of the songs on the album feature Yamanaka as the main improviser, playing the song melodies and intensely improvising and quoting jazz phrases while Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums provide the solid musical framework and addictive rhythms.

Of course, master players Grenadier and Ballard also make their solo statements as well, as they improvise, trade statements, or close certain songs dramatically with drum features over vamps. Guitarist John Carlini joins the trio on select tracks with a very subtle guitar or charming banjo strumming (#3, Rahsaah Roland Kirk’s “Serenade to a Cuckoo”), but doesn’t take a spotlight role on the three songs that he is credited on.

Yamanaka’s arrangements are also captivating, showing her unerring ear for interesting changes and tweaks to standard songs. Her musical reimagining is particularly apparent with the contagious vibrancy and catchy rhythm on #1 “Quand Biron Voulut Danser” (traditional) and the romantically beautiful #9 “Liebesleid” (classical).

Yamanaka also honors great jazz pianists Geri Allen and McCoy Tyner with thrill-seeking performances of two of their songs, the ultra-modern pieces #4 “RTG” (including an expertly deployed quote from Herbie Hancock’s “One Finger Snap”) and #10 “Mode to John”, a spirited mix of McCoy’s angular fourths style and the bop fluidity of Yamanaka. There is perhaps even a tip of the hat to Horace Silver, whose presence graces Yamanaka’s original #2 “Sabot” with its strong accents and bluesy and unleashed piano licks.

The final two tracks also remind us of Yamanaka’s fun and playful nature. In line with the German phrase Lach Doch Mal (just laugh, cheer up), the title track is a zany 45-second stride piano sketch, amazing and ear-catching. In this same endearing mood, the jazz standard #11 “What A Diff'rence A Day Made”, layers sounds (piano, keyboard), musical keys, and tempos several times for a chameleon-like arrangement with unexpected endings with pleasantly decaying chaos. Finally, #12 “That’s All” returns the band to a relaxed midtempo swing style, played sweetly and tenderly as suits the end of a set.