THE TRIO PROJECT: SPARK

I met Hiromi by chance. I was strolling along the web looking for "I don't remember what" when I bumped into the picture of a crazy haired laughing Japanese pianist. I couldn't help throwing a glance at Wikipedia: "Hiromi Uehara is a Jazz composer and pianist? known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances and blend of musical genres such as post-bop, progressive rock, classical and fusion in her compositions. "I love Bach, Oscar Peterson e Franz Liszt" - she said of herself ? "but also Ahmad Jamal e Sly & the Family Stone, Dream Theater and King Crimson". Progressive rock! A visit to Progarchives was then necessary. Hiromi's fourth album "Time Control" is here considered essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music! I had to listen to her, so I immediately opened YouTube and watched a few live performances: she blew my mind! In less than a week I watched all her YouTube videos and listened to some of her records. Time Control is essential, but Spark, well, Spark is different, maybe not an immediate record, but? something more. If Time Control is a prog album, Spark sounds different, if Time Control is jazz, undoubtedly Spark is more jazz, if Time Control is classical, no one can deny that Spark is more than classical. In few words Spark raises the bar: the title track starts with a 40 second piano classical tiny tune that leaves space to a prog-what-er-rock phrase which turns jazz before you can imagine. In less than two minutes Hiromi's Trio Project has declined all musical modern genres. "I don't care about genres" - tells Hiromi, Ok, anything will happen in the next 7 minutes: anything at any moment. Hiromi, Anthony Jackson (!!!) and Simon Phillips (!!!) think music at the speed of light and at the same speed conduct you anywhere? As Hiromi herself explains "When you feel a serious Spark for something, this will put you in an emotional and irrational state of mind, as In a Trance, and you want to be Take(n) Away, to the Wonderland, there are moments of Indulgence and of Dilemma, but What Will Be, Will be? You just have to Wake up and Dream? and All's Well, that ends well. Easy to say? Maybe! Easy to understand? I'm not so sure? I had to listen to it many times, well, I couldn't help doing so?she (they) put a spell on me. I saw the light, it was so fast, just as only the light can be, I fear I'll never recover. If you kind of love jazz or feel open minded, this is the record to buy. Probably Hiromi's bands' best record.