(Hiromi Uehara, piano & keyboards; David Fiuczynski, fretted & fretless guitars; Tony Grey, bass; Martin Valihora, drums)
Hiromi has emerged on the strengths of her previous three albums for Telarc as Japan’s brightest new jazz performer. Her compelling keyboard work and many original compositions have earned a top place for her in jazz keyboardists today. In this one, however, she throws herself completely into a funk and fusion bag which is not mine – though it may well be for many listeners. Part of the equation is undoubtedly due to guest guitarist David ‘Fuze’ Fiuczynski of the Screaming Headless Torsos. Their work together had me screaming, but not in pleasure. To each his own, of course. One of the reviewers said Hiromi officially got her groove back. Didn’t know she’d lost it, but in my humble estimation, she was better off without it.
Jump cuts and montages in fast-moving films and videos of today were the inspiration for some of the tunes; it’s all very electronic, synthy and adventurous to be sure, and the hi-res surround brings out all the squawks and bleeps with surgical preciseness. Her original tunes all play around with the concept of time in one way or another. Well, what more can I say…Hiromi’s first couple albums blew me away. Not this one.
TrackList: Time Differences, Time Out, Time Travel, Deep into the Night, Real Clock, Body Clock, Jet Lag, Time and Space, Time Control or Controlled by Time, Time Flies, Time’s Up.
– John Henry
