ANOTHER MIND

There are two types of piano playing: the first one is a melodic style almost like a string instrument featured by musicians like Rick Wakeman (since the piano is essentially a string instrument) and a percussive one of people like Keith Emerson, Patrick Moraz, Chick Corea and Hiromi Uehara (the piano works through a mechanism of hammers hitting the strings). This album is a clear display of how to treat the piano as a percussive instrument. 123!!!...that's the way this album gets started like an explosion with the powerful XYZ, in which Hiromi and her band, in a trio format, shows what they are made of and it is the greatest expression of Hiromi's Rockier side... Double Personality follows with the same rocky mood in the best Weather Report tradition with the addition of a great (at times weird) guitar solo by guest Dave Fiuczynski, who is more of a rocker than Hiromi. Fiuczynski adds to the piece a more experimental ambience, while Hiromi alternates between styles you can be thinking of Keith Emerson and a second after that you sudenly hear yourself saying Wait a second...isn't that Chick Corea playing?!!!!. (despite of some other references the main influence present on the album comes from jazz and fusion)

XYZ and Double Personality are pieces that easily could be included in a Weather Report, Blue Oyster, Return to Forever, or even in a Keith Emerson album.

With Summer Rain Hiromi goes for a jazzier feeling with the help of guest Jim Odgren in the alto saxophone but it is still very rocky (especially compared to her later work), heavily influenced by Chick Corea.

Joy gets started with what would define Hiromi's sound in the future, again in a trio format, a jazzier fusion variation (aprox. 65% jazz - 35% rock) with a great soud that, at moments, reminds of Corea and Ahmad Jamal(who, by the way, produced the record).

010101 (Binary System) features with some weird combinations of an acoustic piano and some synthesized sounds, but with an even jazzier sound (+1% of jazz).

4% jazzier, Truth and Lies is the first track to feature a 100% acoustic keyboard setting (the only electric instrument here is the bass). A nice tune which shows why Hiromi is the new generation's Chick Corea (being a big fan of Chick's, this is something that I wouldn't say lightly).

Dancando No Paraiso (the brazilian-portuguese name is probably due to the latin flavor of the piece) this is the definitive confirmation of Chick Corea's influence on Hiromi's music, being the blend of latin and fusion sounds his trademark.

The title track and last official one is the most melodic tune and features a beuatiful and well written piece of music showing the talent of Hiromi as a formal musician (not just an improvisation genious).

And finaly...the piece that impressed Oscar Peterson, The Tom And Jerry Show (presented as a bonus track), featuring Hiromi and her piano without rhythm section or any other accompanying instrument. The Tom and Jerry Show is almost a jazz standard, it shows Hiromi and just Hiromi displaying her amazing talent.

This is a great debut album (and my favorite yet) by Chick Corea's and Ahmad Jamal's great discovery, Hiromi Uehara...

This album goes from the 55% rock - 45% jazz crazy jam of XYZ and Double Personality to the 95% jazz of The Tom and Jerry Show...featuring the amazing talent of Hiromi supported by one of the greatest rhythm sections that i've ever heard (congrats to Cohn and DiCenso).

4.35 almost a masterpiece....