Since starting to release albums in 2001, Abyss is Yamanaka’s sixth studio album out of 32(!) releases to date, a collection that includes three live DVDs and two compilation albums. This is her third release for Verve Records. (Similar to Yamanaka’s schedule of releasing something new every year, I seem to be covering her albums here also at a one-article-per-year pace, so I had better up the pace or I will never catch up to her current-day releases!)

With 10 tracks, all arranged by Yamanaka, and a running time of 50 minutes, Abyss is a whirlwind of fast music, uptempo tunes, and plenty of jazz soloing from the nimble keymaster. The music is delightfully assertive with fluid playing throughout. Yamanaka’s style is also embodied in her personal arrangements, used as a stage for her fascinating piano improvisation in the spotlight. Right out of the gate, uptempo to near-breakneck speeds are immediate and consistent from tracks one through four and seem to tempt a risk of crashing. Yet, the band’s focus never falters, and their group playing and individual solos shine with confidence.

It’s not just dexterity and upfront rhythms at play, though, and as before, Yamanaka’s arrangements are fun and distinctive. In opposition to the abyss of the title, her whimsical personality also comes through (as with “Plum the Cow” and “S.L.S. (Silly Little Song)” from When October Goes). For example, the swing-era standard “Sing, Sing, Sing” is introduced by the famously identifiable piano riff from Chicago’s “Saturday in the Park” before switching into a massively reworked version of “Sing, Sing, Sing” merged with her own “Give Me a Break.” (I wonder if this choice of titles and tunes is a tongue-in-cheek response to the various requests that working pianists receive at piano bars and live shows? Just a guess…)

Another creative element on this album is an increase in the use of keyboard, organ, and piano effects in the recording, a trend that has continued over the last several albums. Acoustic piano is still featured on most tracks, as the main piano instrument or doubled with another keyboard, yet the addition of electric keyboard, organ, and piano with effects is also a big part of the music on Abyss.

Tracks one through four consist of Keith Jarrett’s “Lucky Southern” (in vibrant good moods), Yamanaka’s “The Root of the Light” (with liquid organ and hairpin curves), Louie Prima’s “Sing, Sing, Sing” together with Yamanaka’s “Give Me a Break” (vivid and exciting, switching between piano and keyboard), and the nearly hundred-year old romantic song “Take Me in Your Arms”, also played uptempo in straight swing for true jazz piano trio bona fides.

Next is the album’s one slow ballad, track #5 “For Heaven’s Sake”, quiet and sweet with patient bass and piano solos over a bed of drum brushes. With track #6, the energy quickly returns with Yamanaka’s take on John Coltrane’s famous “Giant Steps”, rearranged here to switch between a swirling 3/4 and straight-ahead 4/4 meters with the pianist switching between acoustic and electric pianos.

Similar to the album’s four-song start with an unrelenting uptempo jazz style, the final four songs introduce funkier and flexible structures: #7 Duke Ellington’s “I’m Gonna Go Fishin’” is a combination of tense bass-line sneaking, bluesy chords, and rapid-pulse swing with one of the longest and fieriest piano solos on the record. #8 “Forest Star” is a fascinating outing based on a repeated pedal-tone vamp and a piano treated with subtle effects for shimmering drone sounds, all combining for an effect like an electric didgeridoo and a tribal beat projecting a phasered piano solo above a fire. The last two songs, shorter in length, resemble a double finale to close the album with splashy imaginative vibes: #9 “Being Called” sets up a scene of rising chaos and tense piano improv, and #10 “Downtown Loop” closes with a short funk/jazz fusion organ jam.

What of the album title… why Abyss? What is the deep chasm, the dark pit of chaos that this album refers to? The introspective cover photo displays contemplation, but together with the album title and the Gothic lettering, there is a slight sense of foreboding. Yet, in counterpoint, this album avoids any risk of falling into the bottomless pit, as we are carried away by the winds of uptempo swing, twisty-turny piano solos that fly through the air, and the upliftingly novel arrangements that Yamanaka is so good at delivering.

Liner Notes

(Translated from the original Japanese liner notes.)

#01. LUCKY SOUTHERN / Keith Jarrett

A Keith Jarrett piece from the 1970s. A crisp piano solo adds color to the cheerful theme.

#02. THE ROOT OF THE LIGHT / Chihiro Yamanaka

A Yamanaka original composition. Along with the uptempo setting, an improvised solo from the electric piano adds a real sense of speed. Kendrick’s drumming over the looped riff at the end is another highlight.

#03. SING, SING, SING / Louis Prima - GIVE ME A BREAK / Chihro Yamanaka

A Yamanaka original tune is interwoven with this famous swing-era standard, as her piano solo and organ solo dance atop an arrangement that resembles a constantly changing landscape.

#04. TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS / Alfred Markush, Fritz Rotter, Mitchell Parish

The trio swings briskly and straight-ahead, using the base of a standard song with a charming melody.

#05. FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE / Sherman Edwards, Elise Bretton, Donald Meyer

Vicente’s contemplative bass is featured on a leisurely ballad that brims with imagination.

#06. GIANT STEPS / John Coltrane

An arrangement of Coltrane’s classic song that alternates between 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures. Each part is contrasted by alternating electric and acoustic piano, swinging exquisitely.

#07. I’M GONNA GO FISHIN’ / Duke Ellington

Yamanaka takes up Ellington’s beautiful song with a distinctive early big band jungle style sound, making for compelling listening with her unique twist and inventive arrangement.

#08. FOREST STAR / Bruno Råberg

A song by bassist Bruno Råberg, with whom Yamanaka was once in a trio. An effects-treated piano solo adds to the excitement of the folky melody even more.

#09. BEING CALLED / Chihiro Yamanaka, Kendrick Scott, Vicente Archer

As the thrilling piano solo moves freely around an improvised beat pattern, a contemporary sound unfolds as the trio comes together.

#10. DOWNTOWN LOOP / Chihiro Yamanaka

The striking sound of the organ runs in all directions over a Motown groove loop.

Audio and Video

• Audio for “Lucky Southern” (track #1):

• Audio for “The Root of the Light” (track #2):

• Audio for “Sing, Sing, Sing” (track #3):

• Audio for “Sing, Sing, Sing” (track #3) alternate link:

• Audio for “Take Me In Your Arms” (track #4):

• Audio for “For Heaven’s Sake” (track #5):

• Audio for “Forest Star” (track #8):

• “Forest Star” live version 1:

• “Forest Star” live version 2:

• Excerpt from track #4: “Take Me in Your Arms”

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.

Audio and Video

• Video for “One Step Up”:

• Audio for “Liebesleid”, track #9 on this album:

• Audio for “That’s All”, track #12 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “カン・ビロン・ヴリュ・ダンセ (Can biron velue danse)”

The album contains a baker’s dozen of fun jazz tracks, some quite short but mostly in the four-to-six minute range, plenty enough to showcase Yamanaka’s piano filled with percussive fire and melodic creativity.

With acrobatic thrills and exciting jazz runs, Yamanaka’s piano is definitely the featured instrument in the trio. Her improvisational runs and fluid technique is on display and easily grab the listener’s attention. Whether playing on uptempo tracks like “Impulsive” or “2:30 Rag”, or slower grooves such as “Angel Eyes” or “Teared Diary”, Yamanaka soars in the spotlight on center stage, justifiably garnering the praise her attention to detail and facility receives.

Perfectly in line with the direct reference in the album title, pure, simple, straightforward swinging jazz is honored here to a high degree. Along with fleet-fingered lines on Bud Powell’s “Cleopatra’s Dream”, the second track, “I Will Wait”, is a great example of pure swing and scratches that itch perfectly. There is even a behind-the-scenes video for this song with scenes from the recording session. Track six, “Yagibushi - Revised Version” is another highlight, first heard on Yamanaka’s second album When October Goes (2002) and updated here in a refreshing and exciting arrangement.

Audio and Video

• Video for “I Will Wait”, track #2 from this album, with scenes from the recording session:

• Excerpt from track #1: “OUTSIDE BY THE SWING”

With momentum built from her debut Living Without Friday (2001) and When October Goes (2002), on Madrigal (2004), the pianist impresses with new arrangements, tight playing, and flashy piano solos. Recorded in studio with a great live sound, Yamanaka is backed by quality rhythm section mates bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard (stalwart members of Brad Mehldau’s trio), and drummer Rodney Green on three tracks.

This is her third album on the boutique Osaka-based Atelier Sawano label. With nine tracks, the album clocks in at a brisk 47 minutes of pure jazz fun. This album completes her early Atelier Sawano trilogy, a great introduction to Yamanaka’s jazz skills and vision which she would continue to pursue on releases for major labels Verve and Blue Note.

As on her prior two albums, the music on Madrigal showcases her dexterous threads of improvised notes flowing with a clean touch. Yamanaka also spins her distinctively original arrangements of classic jazz tunes (“Caravan”, “Take Five”), a welcome touchstone on previous and future recordings as well. Compared to her earlier releases, Madrigal shoots for perhaps an even more kinetic mood, with boundless energy and an acrobatic spirit displayed. In fact, Yamanaka dedicated this album to her childhood, and the music is infused with playful creativity as suggested by the album photos and liner notes.

A track-by-track rundown: simply swinging on “Antonio’s Joke”, addictively fun “Living Time Event V”, the pretty, light “Madrigal”, the unbridled “Ojos De Rojo”, a scrambling “School Days”, the quick Brazilian “Salve Salgueiro”, a strong and distinctive “Caravan”, the cute “Lesson 51”, and a reworked, shifting “Take Five”. Most songs are midtempo or faster, the energy undepletable. The first and third tracks are originals from the pianist, while the cover songs were written by George Russell, Cedar Walton, Duke Ellington, Paul Desmond, and other greats.

This album hit #1 on the HMV Weekly Modern Jazz Chart and #2 on the HMV 2004 Yearly CD Jazz Chart.

Audio and Video

• Salve Salgueiro from this album:

• Take Five from this album:

• Excerpt from track #2: “Living Time Event V”

The ten tracks on When October Goes include three original songs, with the balance of the music being jazz standards and rearranged songs.

The opening original number “Taxi” is a highlight, a great way to open the set with creative modern jazz and scintillating piano improv. The other two originals reveal a humorous side to go along with her prodigious jazz talent: “Plum the Cow”, named for a neighbor’s bovine pet, is a quirky uptempo blues, while “S.L.S. (Silly Little Song)” is an ultra-catchy odd-meter tune with swirling keyboards, easily hooking the listener all the way to the don’t-want-it-to-end fade out.

Amidst the high-energy swing, the emotional ballad “When October Goes” is delivered with deserving finesse and care for the music. Other jazz covers include “Just In Time”, “In A Mellow Tone”, and George Gershwin’s “I’ve Got Rhythm”, masterfully reinvented with novel accents and an extended vamp for the pianist to spin twisty improvisations over an in-the-pocket rhythm section groove.

Together with jazz and pop standards, Yamanaka also includes her upbeat jazz version of a Japanese traditional song “Yagi Bushi” (later revisited on her 2005 album Outside By The Swing) and a memorable pick of Keith Jarrett’s “Paint My Heart Red”, where the pianist’s long, fluid lines float gracefully over soft jazz chords with a mesmerizing beat.

When October Goes received numerous awards upon release, including four weeks at #1 on the HMV Weekly Modern Jazz Chart, 33 weeks at #1 on the HMV Yearly Modern Jazz Chart, and 2003 HMV Grand Prize Record of the Year for Best Japanese Jazz Album.

Liner Notes

This is a transcription of the CD liner notes written by Chihiro Yamanaka:

I’d like to explain a bit about these tunes.

“Taxi” was composed right after I moved to NY city and I tried to describe my impression of the cityscape from BQE (highway to Brooklyn). This title comes from one of my favorite TV series, “TAXI”.

I didn’t expect “Just In Time” to be on this CD because we actually recorded this after the sessions were completed.

Keith played “Paint My Heart Red” for the Hanshin Earthquake. I still remember seeing him play on the NHK news show in the morning. But I forgot some part of the tune…

As you may know, “Yagi Bushi” is a traditional Japanese “dance” song. I arranged this for Kiryu City a long time ago.

“Plum The Cow” is about my friend’s cow “Plum”. She is very cute and naughty.

I love lyrics for “Ballad For Their Footsteps” and I felt this song and “Three Views of a Secret” have the same spirituality. Both tune’s original keys were the same.

“I Got Rhythm” was arranged for “JVC Jazz Festival in NY”.

“When October Goes” has beautiful text too. I played this tune for the first time with Nancy Wilson.

“S.L.S.” standards for Silly Little Song. Accidentally, we recorded this as 5/4 over 7/8 and I added some effects later on. It’s a Steinway piano and mixing this tune was a lot of fun! I’m kind of addicted to it.

Duke’s melodies have such a strong statement and “In A Mellow Tone” is no exception. Arranging is like cooking. If you get something fresh and delicious, it is so easy to cook. I hope you like it.

Special thanks to: Larry and Jeff for making this music so beautiful. Stanley Kay, Sherri Maricle, Tim Conklin, Yoshiaki Sawano, Hiroaki Ishii, Shoji and Kenji for their deep love of music and continuous support.

This music is dedicated to my father Yasusuke, my mother Hiroko and my sister Makoto.

Audio and Video

• A live performance of “Yagi Bushi”, the fourth track on this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Taxi”

Popular and in-demand on albums and live events, Yamanaka is based in New York and is a well-known representative for jazz piano from modern-day Japanese musicians. The ultra-proficient and prolific musician has been releasing new albums every year, impressively spanning a multidecade recording career with no signs of slowing down. Living Without Friday caught early attention and hinted at the potential to be unveiled through her many subsequent albums and her penchant for creative arrangements that suit her modern bop and swing jazz style.

This ten-track album contains a mix of jazz standards and several originals, including the sweet “Beverly”, the cute “Pablo’s Waltz”, and the high-energy showstopper “Living Without Friday”. The rearranged standards include a funky and chic “Girl From Ipanema” and the mystical “Balkan Tale” played in mesmerizing 5/4 time, which along with the stirring “A Sand Ship” are two highlights on the album for lyrical power. Throughout, Yamanaka’s playing is always fascinating, especially in moments where her long piano lines unspool through the music in fast, graceful streams of notes, swooping over harmonic changes like the bird soaring over the sea on the cover.

With her impeccable technique and twisty improvisations, Yamanaka’s dexterity and endurance deliver boiling excitement on uptempo tunes, yet she also has a melodic finesse used to great effect on slower ballads and subdued waltzes, all providing a great introduction to a jazz pianist offering much more to come.

This album hit #1 on the HMV Modern Jazz Chart for four weeks after release, despite being released without any media or advertising support at the time.

Audio and Video

• Chihiro Yamanaka playing “Living Without Friday” live from 2013:

• Excerpt from track #7: “Balkan Tale”