The inspiration for this album was the sound produced by a luxury piano the young pianist had the opportunity to play, a Bösendorfer 290 Imperial 1978. This type of grand piano has a bass-extended range of 97 keys over a full eight octaves, compared to 88 keys on a standard full-sized piano. The addition of extra bass strings and hardware not only offers the player deeper notes to strike but also enhances the total sound produced by all of the other keys with richer harmonic resonance — as well as increasing the overall size and weight of the imposing instrument.

The occasion of this recording was a fortunate happenstance. A colleague of the pianist owns this rare piano and invited Yamano to play it. It so happened that on the day, recording equipment was also available, so the playing session was captured as if it were an impromptu live performance.

Pleased with the result of the piano’s sound, Yamano decided to release the session to share the beautiful sound of the Imperial Bösendorfer. As an unplanned album produced in quick order, she offered the CD in a simple package at a handy “one-coin” price of 500 yen (about $3.50 USD).

Yamano leads off Imperial with “Symphony of Lights”, an adventurous composition with a magnificent grandeur suiting the album concept, light and cheery with an underlying fullness. The next track, “Yusha” (Hero), summons an old-world setting like a rousing march forming a grand impression. Finally, the outstanding “Catherine no Yuutsu” (Melancholy of Catherine) opens slowly in a minor key and develops into a happier gallop with promenade-style accents. This song (amusingly inspired by a diet slimming patch commercial she watched in Barcelona) is a winner, balanced and uplifting with its subtly Studio Ghibli-esque Japanese harmony rooted within an addictive and modern seven-beat frame.

Audio and Video

• Live performance of “Yusha (Hero)”, track #2 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #3: “キャサリンの憂鬱 (Katherine’s Melancholy)”

Differing from the first two releases, this album focuses on her work as a solo artist and showcases many of her original songs. Throughout, the music is infused with her special style of melodic and memorable jazzy pop creations. As a solo pianist, Yamano’s playing is loaded with catchy riffs and repeating patterns over which she develops improvisational explorations. At other moments, she can create lovely, somber themes with fragile atmospheres. Songs like “Mahoruba” and “Before After” range from galloping grooves to sweet and cute music, while the show-stealer “Summertime/Piano Concerto No. 2” merges Gershwin and Rachmaninov themes in an impressive medley. The final track, “Love Coke!”, is another popular crowd-pleaser and a fun tribute to her collection of variations of this addictive soft drink.

Audio and Video

• Live performance of “Love Coke!”, the last song on this album:

• Excerpt from track #7: “Luna”

The pianist’s November 2020 trip to Dubai was her first overseas tour since the pandemic began. Although there were new hurdles like testing, quarantine, cancelations, and a great deal of uncertainty involved, it was a rewarding experience for the pianist, and she found an even deeper appreciation for traveling and sharing music with people around the world. With these impressions, Yamano created this suite in a burst of inspiration - including her instinctive decision to arrange the music for two pianos. Pianist Yukari Inoue, a popular, skilled, and in-demand pianist in the Tokyo jazz scene, was a natural choice for a musical partner on this album. Fortunately, the album was able to be recorded and produced in short order, and Yamano brought copies of the CD along with her on her second trip to Dubai in December 2021.

The album’s five tracks add up to a brisk 23 minutes and relay a narrative with the descriptive song titles “Hope”, “Reality”, “Run”, “Anxiety”, and “Victory”. The opening track sets up a bright prologue to adventure, and the next two shorter tracks capture the suite’s energy with the frolic and whimsey of a chase scene… or perhaps the fun of hurriedly preparing for travel and facing the realities of packing, scheduling, and racing to catch departures. Next, “Anxiety” delivers a slower, suspenseful atmosphere, and the closing track “Victory” returns to uptempo form with a springy rhythm making for toe-tapping positivity. Like other examples of Yamano’s music, the jazz feeling is permeated with a catchy lightness and shine often found in some J-pop styles.

I was finally able to get to Dubai. The exotic wind after a long absence, the beautiful city of Dubai… I was very happy to be welcomed by the people there.

November 2020 was my first overseas tour since Corona. I was worried, I had to take a PCR test, and it was very different from travel before Corona, but it was a very good experience. After all, I like traveling, I like music, and it’s great to be able to live and be together in this way. I’m glad I went. I created a song from my impressions. I made everything intuitively, and I don’t know why I decided on two pianos (laughs).

Audio and Video

• Yukako Yamano and Yukari Inoue playing piano duet live in 2019:

• Audio for “Hope”, the first track on this album:

• Excerpt from track #5: “Victory”

The listener may notice subtle Japanese pop and classical influences in the playing. With quick energy and clever movements, the music is fun, bold, and sincere. The songs vary from grooving straight-beat swing (“Over Parents”, “On A Sunny Moon”), rock-style solo piano (“Galopping Ponies”), romantic, sad ballads (“Another Step”, “Kanashimi No Mukougawa”), serious adventures (“Double A”, “City Walker”), anthemic ballad-rock (“Kanashimi No Mukougawa”), and quirky, candy-sweet fusion (“Wild Sweets”). On the whole, the album strives to involve the listener directly without overcomplicating the compositions, all while ensuring the musicians are having fun creating music together and keeping the audience hooked.

1st Stage features Yukako Yamano on piano along with regular trio members multi-genre drummer Manabu Fujii and well-known bassist Koichi Osamu, both professional and accomplished musicians in their own right. All of the songs on this album were written by Yamano Yukako.

Audio and Video

• A live performance from 2013 of “On A Sunny Moon”, track #6 on this album:

• Excerpt from track #1: “Over Parents”