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Hiromi: "Can I try playing it again?"

Jazz+

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in The Keyboard Corner

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Jazz+

Jazz+

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In this clip Hiromi asks if she can try to play her composition "Margarita" a second time. She was not satisfied with her first take and says she thinks she can do better. She proceeds to outdo herself. At the end of the segment she takes a surprise request for "My Way" and performs it for the first time ever.

[video:youtube]

 

 

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LX88

LX88

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I met her at a jam session in Brooklyn in 2009.I had no idea who she was at the time.

 

The instrument she played on that night was probably a Yamaha P-85. There was one mic on it to amplify it.

 

Anyway there were a bunch of hot New York be boppers and they were playing a lot of Art Blakey and Horace Silver tunes with maybe some Coltrane tunes in the mix.

 

I am not sure if she knew the tunes ahead of time but she absolutely smoked them! It was real rootsy and down to earth and she did not lack anything as far as feeling was concerned. I found her bop lines to be very authentic.

 

Later on I did speak to her and she was friendly and genuinely interested in getting to know everybody.

 

Not knowing who she was at the time, I was rather flabbergasted at what I heard ,particularly coming from a somewhat cheap digital piano. But she just seemed to accept it and forged ahead anyway. But mainly what I remember was her spirit and how much fun she seemed to be having.

 

I certainly have no beef with her abilities. I would have to say if there are any issues with her skills or musical decisions it is probably just another case of pianist envy.

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stoken6

stoken6

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her recall skills and her grasp of theory are exceptional...

 

+1, but also her sense of groove/time and emotion/feeling. The blues-inflected little section at 07:36+ (and elsewhere) felt very genuine to me. She's much more than a "theoretical" or "technique" player.

 

Cheers, Mike.

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Adan

Adan

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Talent aside, there's something odd about being on a recorded program with a live audience and asking to play a song twice because you weren't happy with it the first time. It's quirky and charming, but not in a "jazz" sort of way. Maybe it's a japanese cultural thing?

Gigging: Crumar Mojo 61, Hammond SKPro

Home: Vintage Vibe 64

 

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Jazz+

Jazz+

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"Japan's Do Your Best Culture - "Ganbatte" is one of the most common words in the Japanese language. It can be translated "do your best!". In Japan, doing your best is highly respected. It explains why Japanese people often work themselves to exhaustion. It also explains the high degree of professionalism in Japan. In Japan, leisure is also driven by the concept of ganbatte. For example, Japanese festivals often challenge participants physically. Festival participants may carry mikoshi that weigh thousands of kilograms for many kilometers. "

 

 

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Morizzle

Morizzle

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Guys, do you know any jazz instrumental (piano trio, or something) that performed "My way" in an album?

And I mean smokin' jazz version, not Richard Clayderman. :)

 

I tried iTunes, but no cigar.

 

Thanks.

 

As soon as the drums come in, this version is certainly smokin'

 

[video:youtube]

It's not a clone, it's a Suzuki.
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Theo Verelst

Theo Verelst

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Seriously, of course she can play well and I don't doubt she has a measure of artistic integrity, but at some point trained persons who *can* play complicated popular pieces with their jazz knowledge (or for all I care from sheet music, but understanding what they play), face up to the bar-player versus "star" player syndrome.

 

Only real good session player can play with musical ideas and stay a consistent person with it, while really performing. Other than M. Jagger or Prince or so in small place jamming something will maintain their image because of their fame and abilities, but Hiromi (is that her last name ?) to an extend will have to trust and prove herself to the audience a little more.

 

I mean suppose some medium level pop star first makes a few country records, decides that sucks to much, and wants to become a jazz player. That would suck!

 

Of course her jazz levels (unless she memorized every note and doesn't feel anything, which would make her a composer I suppose) are such that she can do a lot of things, but Jazz audiences are also more critical, so if she doesn't position herself somehow, people might feel she's a bit lost, and also style and attention for performance production style and greatness play a role in the image.

 

I visited a conservatory graduate performance a little while ago, where there was good playing by talented people:

 

http://www.theover.org/Keybdmg/220620131053bm.png

 

I never did conservatory education but I imagine it is the emphasis on various sides of the music that can be learned. Being a star and achieving something with your art is another story. I don't see a problem in a televised show with self-initiated repeats, I don't think there are rules for that.

 

T

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Joe Muscara

Joe Muscara

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Any suggestions on the better Hiromi recordings?
Have you checked out her recent stuff, like Move?

 

Also, I posted the Keyboard interview with her in another thread (see below). That was quite good IMO. I think I'm getting affected by her more recent stuff, like Carlo says.

 

A fantastic pianist as always, and she's getting better and better as a musician - less pyrotechnic and more substantial in her phrasing. Hope she keeps growing like that - well done, Hiromi!
[video:youtube]

"I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck

 

"The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI

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Steve LeBlanc

Steve LeBlanc

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I wish I'd created Theo's forum personality...he makes me laugh ;)

 

I haven't found a clip of Hiromi with a band (drums, bass, whatever) that worked for me but as a solo pianist, she absolutely kills.

 

I hope she finds her niche with a group because she seems to have really good time and great ideas. Unfortunately her sense of time in the trio or quartet clips I've watched so far comes off kinda' weird...like her body movement is affecting it or something. Also, her piano gets lost in the mix on a lot of the 'electric' clips, partly due to bad mixing/compression but also maybe she doesn't have great 'in between' dynamic attack on the piano, just hard or soft. You'd have to directly compare her to Herbie, Jarrett or Corea to find any fault really so, I guess she's doing just fine.

 

I worked real hard to critique her in this post and feel like I'm failing a bit...just call me Theo. :)

 

All that nonsense said...she brings tears to my eyes when playing solo...a beautiful human experience. Yay Hiromi!

 

http://www.youtube.com/notesleb

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RABid

RABid

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Funny you say that. I got on Amazon and listened to a lot of clips from her CD's. Ordered a few that include Autorip and my first choice to listen is the CD "Place to Be." Why did I start with that? Because it is solo and I decided that I like her solo cuts better. For lack of a better work, she sound more "free" when playing solo.

 

I also picked up Voice and Move which I think are two of her more recent recordings.

This post edited for speling.
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