Style: Modern Jazz
Label: Jazz Cat Amnesty Records
Musicians: Yoko Miwa - Piano; Greg Loughman - Acoustic Bass; Scott Goulding - Drums.
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| Jazz pianist Yoko Miwa Photo courtesy: eventful.com |
CD Review: Yoko Miwa swings from both sides of the piano, and is blessed with a left hand that lends itself to a fully developed playing style that is reminiscent of early stride masters; a dominant strength, no doubt acquired through McCoy Tyner's influence on Miwa, and also may be traced to be-bop genius, Thelonious Monk, who heavily influenced Tyner. Monk, in turn, had as his principal musical architects, the great stride pianists of the 30's and 40's, Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, and Fats Waller, each of whom possessed a trade mark 'killer' left hand. Her pianism is ultra-modern; includes a commanding range of styles; grounded in extensive classical training; further influenced by the renowned post be-bop pianist Bill Evans; and aided more indirectly by exposure to the creative concepts of pianists, Herbie Hancock, and Bud Powell. In total, effecting an imposing technique, and immaculate style. The other members of her trio underscore these attributes; as evidenced by the coherent harmonic and rhythmic structure that steadfastly reinforce her artistic adeptness. The result is a well balanced, exciting jazz trio.
Miwa was tutored in Japan by organist Minoru Ozone, studied at the Kyoto Conservatory in Kobe, and at Boston's Berklee College of Music, where she was recently appointed an Assistant Professor. The Kobe, Japan native, now firmly established in the Boston jazz scene, kicks off her fifth CD (others are: In The Midst of Time: 2000; Fadeless Flower: 2002; Canopy of Stars: 2004; The Day We Said Goodbye: 2006), with an elegantly swinging version of Steve Allen's 1956 popular song "This Could Be The Start of Something (Big)." replete in harmonic fluidity, clear improvisational thought and artistic dexterity; never straying too far from the melody that allows a simpatico to form with bassist Greg Loughman and drummer Goulding in the tight interchanges that impart rhythmic bounce and lusty forward momentum.
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| Drummer Scott Goulding |
Miwa includes the work of a fascinating mix of composers, in addition to three of her own compositions to round out the October 2010 recording "Live At Scullers Jazz Club." (Steven Tyler; Lou Reed; Art Farmer and Milton Nascimento). Miwa displays a contemplative, private side of her thoughts and emotions in her hypnotic, spheroid composition (Wheel of Life), which expresses the flow of life with its accompanying chaos, employing a spinning, articulate simplicity; progressing from a serene beginning, through stifling, climactic tension; then returning to a home place. It is in effect, an engrossing look into an active imagination employing a simple musical idea, to fashion an absorbing, circular, emotionally intense musical composition.
The extensive catalog of styles, influences, moods, and tastes alive and at work in Miwa's piano world are full blown in another of her original compositions, the funky, groovy, bopish, (Mr. B. G.), written as a tribute to pianist Benny Green, and back-handed "homage to Green's former employer, bassist Ray Brown, as well as longtime Brown associate Oscar Peterson." It combines the deep, flowing, rhythmic, broad swing of Oscar Peterson, and a teasing passage reminiscent of the pungent lyricism of Errol Garner.
Miwa gives full reign to her transformational ideas, simultaneously displaying a preference for the structure in Steven Tyler's (Seasons of Wither) and Lou Reed's (Who Loves the Sun) as she searches for 'interesting material untapped by jazz artists." With these selections she increases the opportunity for the listener to get a deeper grasp of the coherence in her improvisational thinking, and a more profound appreciation of the classical influence that colors her work.
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| Bassist Greg Loughman |
Miwa's pianism is so pristine, arresting and complete, that it is easy to overlook the embellishments of bassist Greg Loughman and drummer Scott Goulding, however each shows unambiguous, irreproachable underpinnings for Miwa's measured, ruminative, solemn piano (Silent Promise). The mood then shifts to the bluesy, cavorting Art Farmer creation ("Mox Nix") giving Goulding's drums another opportunity to mix it up in a classic duel of idea exchanges with Miwa's swinging McCoy Tyner-esque accents and nuances much to the delight of the attending audience at Scullers Jazz Club.
The trio brings the date to an exotically, alluring end with Milton Nascimento's (A Festa), providing further testament to the versatility, depth and sprawling stylistic range of pianist Yoko Miwa, and the attendant facility of her trio to provide a supremely elevated level of musical artistry and entertainment.
Track Listing: This Could Be The Start Of Something; Wheel Of Life; Mr. B. G.; Seasons Of Wither; Who Loves The Sun; Silent Promise; Mox Nix; A Fiesta.
Recorded at Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA
Recording Engineer: Christopher Karwin
Mixing Engineer at Wellspring Sound: Matt Hayes
Mastering Engineer at Northeastern Digital Recording: Toby Mountain
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