Pianist Hiromi Takes Jazz To Another Place With Her Telarc Debut, ""Another Mind""

ìI donít want to put a name on my music. Other people can put a name on what I do. Itís just the union of what Iíve been listening to and what Iíve been learning. It has some elements of classical music, it has some rock, it has some jazz, but I donít want to give it a name.î óHiromi Uehara Japanese native Hiromi Uehara may still be a student at Berklee School of Music in Boston, but thereís already a great deal that she could teach those in the music world whose ears and minds are sufficiently open. Her debut album, Another Mind, offers a glimpse into the highly creative inner world of a gifted young pianist whose roots are in jazz but whose potential is unlimited. Mentored by keyboard giants like Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal and Chick Corea, Hiromi turns jazz tradition on its head and plunges into a universe of new ideas where others of her generation have barely scratched the surface. Born in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1979, Hiromi took up the piano at age six. Within a year, she was a student of the Yamaha School of Music, whose progressive approach to musical training allowed the young student to tap into her emotions as well as mastering the technical aspects of writing and performing. ìI could really play from my heart,î she says, ìand not just from my ears.î She came to the United States in 1999 to continue her studies at Berklee. The cross-cultural experience has opened her ears and her mind to new and varied musical tastes that encompass everyone from J.S. Bach to Franz Liszt to Sly and the Family Stone to King Crimson. An ambitious and engaging debut, Another Mind is a distillation of all of these sensibilities and more. Though rooted in jazz, the albumís nine tracks make frequent forays into pop, R&B and avant-garde. From the first measures of ìXYZ,î Hiromi commands the listenerís attention with insistent, syncopated keyboard riffs that churn forward with locomotive intensity. ìDouble Personalityî sets up a taut balance of rhythm and melody that careens through various interludes of high-speed and high-energy freeform. Later in the sequence, the relaxed and easygoing ìJoyî is a departure from the intensity that characterizes the lionís share of the album. Also noteworthy are the quirky, techno-flavored ì010101 Binary System,î the melodic and hypnotic title track and the whimsical bonus track, ìThe Tom & Jerry Show.î Along the way, Hiromi is supported by a fine team of musicians that includes her own backup unit of bassist Mitch Cohn and drummer Dave Di Censo, as well as three formidable guest players: bassist Anthony Jackson, alto saxophonist Jim Odgren and guitarist Dave Fiuczynski. Jackson, a seasoned session player with a mile-long list of credits dating back to the early ë70s, heaps high praise on the young talent: ìHiromi stands in the front rank of the greatest players that Iíve ever worked with,î he says, ìand Iíve worked with quite a few of them.î ìHiromi continues to change the musical landscape everywhere she performs,î says pianist Ahmad Jamal, who co-produced Another Mind (along with veteran bassist/ arranger/producer and Berklee professor Richard Evans) and has taken an active interest in her career. ìHer music, together with her overwhelming charm and spirit, causes her to soar to unimaginable musical heights. She is nothing short of amazing.î