“One of jazz piano’s most brazenly virtuosic players.” – New York Times
Since Hiromi’s debut album, 2003’s Another Mind, the world-renowned pianist’s sound has evolved with every release. Here, she erases the lines between jazz and classical, composition and improvisation. Now she changes tack again with her heaviest, funkiest album yet: Sonicwonderland.
Hiromi describes the hard-hitting nine-song set as “a new journey of adventure,” one that began in her imagination. As motifs, phrases, and timbres blossomed in her mind, she began thinking about players who could help her realize this specific sound. “Making a record is like making a movie, and I’m the director looking for the perfect actor for each role.” For her new quartet, Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, she cast bassist Hadrien Feraud, drummer Gene Coye, and trumpet player Adam O’Farrill.
The genesis of Sonicwonder begins in 2016, when Feraud subbed for Anthony Jackson at some gigs with Hiromi’s then-current trio. “When I was playing with Hadrien in that setting, I started to feel like I wanted to write some music just for him,” she recalls.
She sought a warm, organic drums sound, rendered with joy and humor, and thought of Coye. They had met when they played shows together with the Stanley Clarke Band. Feraud and Coye both reside in Los Angeles, and had made music together many times, another important consideration. “I feel that it’s always very important to have great chemistry between bassist and drummer.”
As she continued composing, Hiromi heard one more instrument in her head: trumpet. Again, she wanted a very specific sound. “What I really love about the trumpet is its low mid-range. I was looking for somebody who can play in that range with a beautiful tone.”
Recommended for fans of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Weather Report.
LEARN MORE: https://www.hiromiuehara.com/s/y01en/
📸: Mitsuru Nishimura
- Genre:
- Jazz
