The Road...

by Keiko Matsui

Overview

It's been four long years since pianist and composer Keiko Matsui released the spare, elegant Moyo. That is an atypical break for an artist who has recorded 22 studio albums since her debut in the late 1980s. Appearing on Shanachie for the first time, The Road was largely self-produced. Matsui appears in varying contexts here, from trios to quartets and quintets to an octet on a musically diverse set that sums up virtually every place she's been while continuing to point the way forward. Some of these players have collaborated with her for decades while still others make their initial appearances. The opening "Secret Pond" utilizes Matsui's love of new age music in a context that also employs Japanese folk melodies and classical themes; it is arranged by Heigo Yokouchi and features bassist Reggie Hamilton and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. Cameroonian bassist, composer, and vocalist Richard Bona appears on the successive tracks "Falcon's Wing," and "Nguea Wonja." The former is a breezy minor-key affair with Matsui playing a classical theme counter to Bona's lithe, nocturnal bassline and shimmering wordless vocal. The latter is an exercise in world jazz that encompasses African and Latin rhythms in a stridently syncopated context. "Bohemian Concerto" is a dead cross between tango and flamenco with Matsui's piano trio pairing with a quartet of accordion, classical guitar, violin, and cello. Kirk Whalum appears on the 21st century funky blues that is "Awakening" in a septet; he trades breaks with James Hara's guitar and Matsui. He also guests on the smooth-gooving "Affirmation," in which his soulful saxophone solo is the centerpiece. The set closes with the title track. Jackiem Joyner plays saxophone in the slowly developing tune which weds classical and new age. Derek Nakamoto's arrangement places Joyner's bluesy saxophone in direct juxtaposition to Kay Ta Matsuno's guitar and dulcimer, but the track is captured by a knotty, startling piano solo by Matsui that ends in a percussive crescendo. The Road is yet another fascinating chapter in the career of a prolific artist whose approach to contemporary music knows no bounds. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	01/25/2011
Label:	SHANACHIE
UPC:	0016351518828

Tracks

1. Secret Pond
2. Falcon's Wing
3. Nguea Wonja
4. Bohemian Concerto
5. Embrace & Surrender
6. Awakening
7. Touching Peace
8. Affirmation
9. The Road...

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Keiko Matsui   Primary Artist,Piano
Kay Ta Matsuno   Guitar,Dulcimer
James Hara   Guitar
Eric Baines   Bass
Reggie Hamilton   Bass
Mauricio Zottarelli   Drums
Vinnie Colaiuta   Drums
Chad Wright   Drums
Peter Kent   Violin
Jackiem Joyner   Saxophone,Featured Artist
Richard Bona   Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Percussion
Heigo Yokouchi   Synthesizer
Alberto de Almar   Flamenco Guitar
Sharon Jackson   Violin
M.B. Gordy   Drums,Percussion
Cameron Stowe   Cello
Satnam Ragotra   Percussion
Kirk Whalum   Saxophone,Featured Artist
Frank Marocco   Accordion
Derek Nakamoto   Synthesizer

Technical Credits

Reuben Cohen   Assistant
Gary Stockdale   Arranger
Jack Leitenberg   Representation
Keith Albright   Piano Tuner
Heigo Yokouchi   Arranger,Programming
Richard Bona   Arranger,Composer,Producer
Bobby Quillard   Photography
Marion Orr   Representation
Loeien Babajian   Package Design
Gabriel Wallach   Assistant
Samur Khouja   Assistant
Jim Wilson   Piano Tuner
Yoshitake Suzuki   Piano Tuner
DaRico Jackson   Hair Stylist
Jamie Harper   Make-Up
Todd Bartelson   Booking
Craig Burbidge   Mixing,Engineer
Anthony Ruotolo   Engineer
Gavin Lurssen   Mastering
Derek Nakamoto   Arranger,Producer
Rob Chiarelli   Mixing,Engineer
Keiko Matsui   Composer,Producer