Hiromi Does It Again, Alone...

The Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara has already been a guest in the blog pages several times. She might be in the top 3 on my contemporary pianists list and she continues to amaze again and again...

What I would like to introduce to you is her recent album that has been publised in September in Japan and in October elsewhere.

"Spectrum" is the eleventh studio album by Hiromi. The album was released by Telarc. It is her first solo album in 10 years after "Place to Be" released in 2009 also by Telarc.

The recording consists of 11 pieces including 2 covers,  one from the Beatles and one from George Gershwin. All other pieces are written by Hiromi.

She says, “as a pianist, making a solo album is really like, kind of being naked, there is nowhere to hide. There is no other instrument to play with in order to cover the sound. It’s really challenging, but at the same time, it’s the best way to fully enjoy this instrument.”

Spectrum by Hiromi

“Making a solo piano album, the biggest difference is that it’s only piano and it’s only me. So, I have to be a drummer, I have to be a bass player, I have to be like a multi-instrumentalist, only using the piano,” Hiromi says. She points to the opening track, “Kaleidoscope,” as a good example of this, as she aimed to treat each of her fingers like a different part of an orchestra.

Kaleidoscope

Try to listen to the full album and let Hiromi take you on a musical journey where you will stroll around different colors and references.