Yes, I had my doubts about pairing Hiromi -- a pianist of rare depth, imagination and jazz grounding -- with drummer Simon Phillips, a veteran session man who's pounded the skins for artists ranging from Judas Priest to Brian Eno.
But Hiromi obviously knows what he's doing. Working with Phillips and bassist Anthony Jackson on Thursday at the SFJAZZ Center, the first show of a four-night run, she fed off Phillip's rapid-fire rhythmic runs to inspire keyboard flights of startling speed and dexterity. At times the show threatened to mutate into something more properly labeled "drum solo with accompaniment" than a piano trio, but Hiromi seldom relinquished momentum.
Obviously with a trio like this, the main order of business was for Hiromi to get her ya-yas out, which she accomplished with a vengeance. Rolling through fast-paced tunes from her new album with the trio, "Move," Hiromi was an absolute whirlwind, reeling off lightning-fast melodic figures while jumping about in a genial rhapsody that suggested equal parts Jerry Lee Lewis and Hello Kitty.
Yet even when playing at breakneck speed, there was no dismissing the pianist's deep jazz sensibilities. Every piece, from the furious "Endeavor" to the even bigger "Margarita!" developed with precision and internal logic, and her playing style referenced influences such as McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea (albeit with a lot more caffeine.)
The result was less fusion (although occasional noodlings on an electronic keyboard had a strong whiff of the '70s) than some new kind of hybrid -- solid, post-bop acoustic jazz paired with more of a backbeat than most jazzsters could handle.
Yet with the all that pounding going on, the standout moment was all Hiromi. Playing a nameless solo piece, the pianist married a peppy ostinato with a series of melodic inventions that seemed to pour straight from the artist's generous heart.
Phillips, playing a setup three times the average jazz kit, was his own kind of wonder, peppering songs with rat-a-tat fills and tom-tom mini-symphonies, yet knowing when and how to pull back.
With such dynamic colleagues, Jackson was rendered all but invisible, a shame given the lovely melodic interlude he was allowed to introduce "Suite Escapism."
Tickets for shows tonight through Sunday are close to sold-out, so move fast if you want to experience real jazz delivered with real wildness.
Send tips, comments and good vibes to the author.
Comments