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HIROMI’s SONICBLOOM – TIME CONTROL
Telarc CD 83655
Hiromi – Piano, Keys
David ‘Fuze’ Fiuczynski – Gtr
Tony Grey – Bass
Martin Valihora – Drums
1/ Time Difference
2/ Time Out
3/ Time Travel
4/ Deep into the Night
5/ Real Clock vs Body Clock
6/ Time and Space
7/ Time Control, or Controlled by Time
8/ Time Flies
9/ Time’s Up
Time is the theme of the album and I have to say that you can apply the concept to the sound, the writing, the playing and just about every aspect of this great album by a pianist who I think really deserves your attention. Born in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1979, Hiromi started learning classical piano at age 6, at age 8 she was introduced to jazz by her piano teacher, at age 14 she debuted with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and at 17, she met and played a concert with none other than Chick Corea in Tokyo who it is easy to make the observation is one of the main influences on her musical thinking. As Hiromi recalls about this meeting, "It was in Tokyo, he was doing something at Yamaha, and I was visiting Tokyo at the time to take some lessons. I talked to some teachers and said that I really wanted to see him. I sat down with him, and he said `Play something.` So I played something, and then he said, `Can you improvise?` I told him I could, and we did some two-piano improvisations. Then he asked me if I was free the next day. I told him I was, and he said, `Well, I have a concert tomorrow. Why don`t you come?` So I went there, and he called my name at the end of the concert, and we did some improvisations together."
Her recording debut in 2003 was on the reccomendation of Ahmad Jamal to his then record company Telarc records and she has now just released this album which is her fourth release for the label. "She is nothing short of amazing," says Jamal. "Her music, together with her overwhelming charm and spirit, causes her to soar to unimaginable musical heights." This is the key I think to why I like Hiromi so much. It is a fearless energy and musical spirit that you can’t quite put your finger on but it comes across in every note played. Hiromi tries to sum up herself “I love Bach, I love Oscar Peterson, I love Franz Liszt, I love Ahmad Jamal," she says. "I also love people like Sly and the Family Stone, Dream Theatre and King Crimson. Also, I`m so much inspired by sports players like Carl Lewis and Michael Jordan. Basically, I`m inspired by anyone who has big, big energy. They really come straight to my heart."
This time round the name has changed slightly but you still get the same incredibly complex compositions and the same consistently unbelievable playing that has such energy I found myself getting exhausted just listening to the music. The name is Hiromi’s Sonicbloom and the reason for this is the addition of the guitarist Dave Fiuczynski aka ‘Fuze’, who has been hailed by the world press as an incredibly inventive guitar hero, who continues to deliver music that is unclassifiable, challenging and invigorating. An innovative musician who, is best known as the leader of the Screaming Headless Torsos and first came to my attention on an album with Medeski, Martin and Wood. The choice of ‘Fuze’ is a perfect compliment to Hiromi and her amazing trio. They both have a playful sense of fun and daring audacity in their soloing whilst also having incredible chops and confidence.
Check out the title track for a journey that just enthrals from start to finish, has energy, beauty, sensitivity, dynamics and a collective focus that is very rare these days. The track ‘Time and Space’ with its almost Garner’esque dragging left hand and a beautiful disparity between the acoustic piano and electric keyboards that works so well and I have to say does so throughout the album. There is lots of space for soloing, lots of amazing unison passages and an underlying funky, swinging groove that I love. This album has all the hallmarks of those great seventies fusion recordings without sounding dated, it’s an album of its time influenced by time in fact one could say it has ‘Time Control’….enjoy!
Time Control” is released on Telarc in the UK on 21st May and that Hiromi will be headlining at Ronnie Scott’s 21st – 23rd May.
jazzfm 2008
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