Hiromi:
Born in Japan in 1979, she started her classical piano lessons at the age of 6. Later she was accepted to the Yamaha School of Music (maybe that's why she is so fond of Yamaha pianos) where she was introduced to jazz. She was a real child prodigy and played with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 14 and with Chick Corea at the age of 17. Couple of years later she went to Boston to attend the Berklee School of Music where she graduated from with a jazz composition degree. During the school years she had the opportunity to study with Ahmad Jamal.
Hiromi Uehara & Chick Corea "Concierto de Aranjuez / Spain"
So what makes her such a special pianist and musician?
First of all, her dynamism takes her playing to a different level. She can even be extreme sometimes, where the listener feels more like attending a rock concert rather than a jazz concert. I am not saying this in a bad way, the audience loves it. In one interview she said she had always wished to be a member of Frank Zappa's band...
Her usage of uncommon parts of the piano (very low and high notes as well as the inside of the piano) is quite fascinating. She is obsessed with acoustics of the places she plays as she always tries extend the dynamic ranges of the piano. You can hear her playing Pachelbel's Canon with her very own authentic style and witness how she shapes the sound of the piano.
"Pachelbel's Canon" by Hiromi
Apart from being an excellent performer she is also a brilliant composer who can compose in many styles. Once can easily grasp the marvels of her pieces both with a classical and jazz perspectives.
When I listen to her music, especially the solo piano and her trio recordings, I often think about her cultural background and how different would her playing be if she'd been American or European...I think there is a commonality between Eastern musicians, especially between the ones from the Far East. They all have a high sense of responsibility both against the music and the audience. Her compositions and playing style are quite detailed, with an approach that will not tolerate a single slip or flaw and yet very humble, very similar to the Japanese culture. If you listen to her trio recordings, silence is also an important part of the music that expresses her serenity in contrast with her passionate physical performances on stage.
"Time Difference" by Hiromi's Sonicbloom
We can maybe classify her discography in 3 categories. Her recordings as the "Hiromi's Trio Project" with Anthony Jackson on bass and Simon Phillips on drums including the titles "Voice", "Move", "Alive" and "Spark".
Secondly her "Sonicbloom Project" with David Fiuczynski on guitar, Tony Grey on bass and Martin Valihora on drums with the titles "Time Control" and "Beyond Standard".
Lastly her initial recordings with various artists called "Another Mind", "Brain", "Spiral" and "Place to Be". She's also contributed to many notable musicians in their recordings such as Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Edmar Castaneda.
"Fire" by Hiromi and Edmar Castaneda
As you can also observe from all the videos, she is a free spirit with a deep respect to all her surroundings, be it the other musicians or the audience or the music itself. Always displaying an incredible amount of energy, amazing playing technique and profound composing aptitude will keep her very much in the forefront of the jazz scene for many years to come...
“I have to be in the best condition for my audiences.
I have to thank them that they have chosen to give two hours of their life to me.
I feel like the captain of the boat and I invited them along for a ride on the boat
so I have a great responsibility to provide the best possible ride on the boat!”
Hiromi
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