北川潔 on Jazz of Japan | Brian McCrory https://www.jazzofjapan.com/tags/%E5%8C%97%E5%B7%9D%E6%BD%94/ Recent content in 北川潔 on Jazz of Japan | Brian McCrory Hugo en-us Thu, 09 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000 Miki Hayama: Prelude to a Kiss https://www.jazzofjapan.com/miki-hayama-prelude-to-a-kiss/ Thu, 09 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.jazzofjapan.com/miki-hayama-prelude-to-a-kiss/ <p>Jazz pianist Miki Hayama’s 2006 album <em>Prelude to a Kiss</em> features beautiful piano jazz improvisation over smart compositions with a solid jazz trio, straightforward and serious modern jazz. This album, her second as leader, received a 5-start rating from the Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal.</p> <figure><a href="L1200693-1024.jpg"> <img loading="lazy" src="L1200693-1024.jpg"/> </a> </figure> <p>While the album cover art and title present a gently elegant mood, the music does not shy away from stimulating energy. The ten tracks cover an equal amount of original compositions and rearranged jazz covers (“Beatrice”, “I Love You”, “Skylark”, “Whose Shoes”, and “Prelude to a Kiss”).</p> Jazz pianist Miki Hayama’s 2006 album Prelude to a Kiss features beautiful piano jazz improvisation over smart compositions with a solid jazz trio, straightforward and serious modern jazz. This album, her second as leader, received a 5-start rating from the Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal.

While the album cover art and title present a gently elegant mood, the music does not shy away from stimulating energy. The ten tracks cover an equal amount of original compositions and rearranged jazz covers (“Beatrice”, “I Love You”, “Skylark”, “Whose Shoes”, and “Prelude to a Kiss”).

The group has a vibrant sound similar to classic jazz trios such as those led by McCoy Tyner and Kenny Barron, with Hayama spinning fluid improvisations while locking into the solid rhythm work of bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Eric McPherson. The cover songs allow the group to re-imagine classic songs in personalized ways with proficiency honoring the modern jazz language, and Hayama’s original songs offer different facets of her creative style. Her compositions range from thrilling jazz propulsion on “At the Key Point” and “Frog Dance”, Andrew Hill-style avant-garde/bop with “Into The Silence”, and flowing and fantastical grandness on “Canvas in Blue” and “Taichi’s Playground”.

Throughout, Hayama’s piano is impressively quick, crystalline light without being overly flashy, yet full and confident as on the solo piano rendition of “Prelude to a Kiss”, a romantic ballad which closes the album warmly.

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]]> Miki Hayama Trio: Wide Angle https://www.jazzofjapan.com/miki-hayama-trio-wide-angle/ Thu, 19 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000 https://www.jazzofjapan.com/miki-hayama-trio-wide-angle/ <p>Pianist Miki Hayama creates superb jazz on <em>Wide Angle</em>, exploring powerful, edge-of-your-seat quickness with modern dimensions. This album is her third as a leader and received awards from the Japanese jazz magazine <em>Swing Journal</em> in 2009 and 2010.</p> <figure><a href="L1200167-1024.jpg"> <img loading="lazy" src="L1200167-1024.jpg"/> </a> </figure> <p>With the album title perhaps being a nod to the angular McCoy Tyner-ish style of playing that Hayama excels at, the music is full of various moods. Hayama’s trio thrives on quick tempo and high-energy improvisation, a great platform for the pianist’s skill with rapid patterns and leaping bursts. Her agile solos are full of notes which seem to climb and swirl and fall into place like musical puzzle pieces. At mid-tempo songs and slower ballads, her graceful side shows an impressive command of modern jazz piano and smartly constructed arrangements.</p> Pianist Miki Hayama creates superb jazz on Wide Angle, exploring powerful, edge-of-your-seat quickness with modern dimensions. This album is her third as a leader and received awards from the Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal in 2009 and 2010.

With the album title perhaps being a nod to the angular McCoy Tyner-ish style of playing that Hayama excels at, the music is full of various moods. Hayama’s trio thrives on quick tempo and high-energy improvisation, a great platform for the pianist’s skill with rapid patterns and leaping bursts. Her agile solos are full of notes which seem to climb and swirl and fall into place like musical puzzle pieces. At mid-tempo songs and slower ballads, her graceful side shows an impressive command of modern jazz piano and smartly constructed arrangements.

In addition to straight-ahead locomotion, other angles are explored: wisps of fantasy ala Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock (“Flying Horses”, “Sound of Migration”), relaxing moods (“Who Cares”, “A Time For Peace”), some two-handed doubling on the odd-metered “Freight Trane”. The mesmerizing “Dismissed” lays out yet another dimension, where Hayama’s piano is at times doubled with her voice, a beautiful shadowing for poignant deepness.

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