Hiromi Uehara (splendid Jazz)

I recently discovered this beautiful composer/pianist. I can't recommend you enough to listen to all of her discography. 4 albums now I think. Watch especially how she moves, she is very expressive in her playing style. Best jazz pianist ever.

Another Mind, the best album out there: 01) XYZ is especially very interesting: YouTube - Hiromi Uehara - XYZ

The second song of that album is good too.

Brain: has more synthy songs also very good.

Here is a little preview on what it should sound like:

YouTube - Hiromi Uehara - SakuraSakura

All the other songs are to be found on youtube.

Yes, Hiromi Uehara sure is a good pianist (don't know about being the best though)! I love her songs, although I feel at times her stuff should be more varied as alot of her stuff sounds pretty much alike eachother. I haven't heard her newest album yet but I will soon :)

She didn't sound THAT good to me to be honest. It is very nice, beautiful music, but she lacks jazz feel and rhythm. Just an opinion though.

I havn't heard her....might check some out.

Erik mentions that she often sounds the same - I think this is an example of the 'Boston Curse' . Berklee and NEC grads get so indoctrinated they often end up sounding like clones. It is possible to break out of that - Cuong Vu, John Medeski et al prove it - but so many students lose their individuality while studying.

Happens with a lot of big US jazz schools. NEC/Berklee have that Boston sound: neo-free-post-bop. North Texas/Miami have the bebop factory thing nailed down...

Sad sometimes.

She didn't sound THAT good to me to be honest. It is very nice, beautiful music, but she lacks jazz feel and rhythm. Just an opinion though.

I'd hesitate to say she lacks feel and rhythm...anyone who makes it through Berklee may not be the most wildly creative musician, but they'll certainly be damn competent. Anyone who hangs with Chick Corea, Ahmad Jamal and David Fiuczynski is probably a pretty solid player. Just an opinion. :w00t:

David Fiuczynski, is that the man who played that guitar in a super marvellous way? Especially on Time Control - Deep into the night! Nice solo!

David Fiuczynski, is that the man who played that guitar in a super marvellous way?

Likely....

He's a wild man...check out Fuze's band Screaming Headless Torsos, it'll give you nightmares.

I watched the Screaming headless torsos, I looked at David, but it seems he is much younger than when he played with Hiromi.

I'm doubting who's David:

YouTube - Hiromi's Sonicbloom "Deep into the night"

Is it the one with the double guitar, or the one with the single guitar?

Is it the one with the double guitar, or the one with the single guitar?

Fuze is the one with the double guitar (see below) ... the other guy is the bassist, Tony Grey.

Also, Hiromi's definitely a solid player, now that I've checked her out, ensemble sound is very much in the Metheny vibe...

Hmm.. I still doubt about her being so good as a jazz pianist. I'm not doubting about her musical capabilities, she is tidy and has a lot of resources. Playing with her must be great, for any musician including Corea. Still, I have not heard even one excelent jazz phrase from her.

This is where you paste a youtube link and prove me wrong :w00t:

...I have not heard even one excellent jazz phrase from her. This is where you paste a youtube link and prove me wrong :w00t:

Wow...tough crowd! :D

YouTube - Hiromi's Sonicbloom "Deep into the night"

Once she gets going, around 2:15, there's certainly no 'bad' phrases there. She's obviously in that Corea vein, with the ensemble digging up a serious PMG vibe, it's good. ...

That's a very nice... music/song/track/video/girl/composer/player/woman. phew...

And great harmonies. So this is jazz, Robin? (I'm honestly asking...). Then I do like jazz after all! ;)

Ahem...

While listening to youtube links (how educational!!!!!!! what a great site! Bastard copyirght!... ahem... ok... sorry), I was thinking that this goes beyong jazz, as I could recognised many rock elements in there, and even classical ones... I also went to the screaming headless corpse, or something simmilar (there was the name there).

OH: CTRL+V: Screaming Headless Torsos!

yes, that! And I was amazed as well!

Thanks guys :w00t: I was right to come back to YC ;)

That's a very nice... music/song/track/video/girl/composer/player/woman. phew...

And great harmonies. So this is jazz, Robin? (I'm honestly asking...). Then I do like jazz after all! ;)

I'd definitely call it jazz.

Ahem...

While listening to youtube links I was thinking that this goes beyong jazz, as I could recognised many rock elements in there, and even classical ones...

Thanks guys :cool: I was right to come back to YC :w00t:

Yeah, modern jazz absorbs a lot of other traditions, and it's often hard to tell if it's intended as classical, jazz or whatever...

I'll lay some more stuff on you guys soon...

...and I'm glad you came back as well!

Her sound is indeed pretty classical, but way too classical. I'd rather hear accidental notes on rare intervals or modal scales rather than "bumblebee-like" cromatisms. She is excelent, but even the most "classical" recordings from master jazz pianists have that subtle "spice" that she lacks. Too much climate but little climax.

Don't get me wrong she is fantastic, but she doesn't deserve the throne.

I love this conversations. Keep on sharing good music!

I'll give you a "splendid" example sample on a climax of Hiromi. I know it's a bit rhythmic, but it's very solid and emotional!

It's from her Another Mind Album.

XTHost.info download page

So give me your honest opinion on this piece! You can feel the climax no? It's only 96 kbits/s though, the quality is low. I know she is classical, there is especially some Prokofiev in it.

I also listened to Bill Evans piano solo pieces. What he made has those jazzy chords that are amazing. If I search through Hiromi, I think she lacks that kind of pieces. I think it's because she wants to go in the rock sector and the general oriental style using septime chords instead of weird jazzy chords. But hey, I don't see Bill Evans writing what Hiromi writes either, so it's a matter of taste.