''Spark'' is the fourth studio album from

Hiromi Uehara , known professionally as Hiromi, is a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. She is known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances and blend of musical genres such as stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical and fusion in her ...

's Trio Project featuring bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Simon Phillips. The album was released on February 12, 2016 by Telarc label. The album reached the #1 position on Billboard Jazz Albums chart for the week of April 23, 2016.

Background

In her interview for ''

Saskatoon StarPhoenix ''The StarPhoenix'' is a daily newspaper that serves Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and is a part of Postmedia Network. The ''StarPhoenix'' puts out six editions each week and publishes one weekly, ''Bridges''. It is also part of the canada.com ...

'' Uehara commented, "I wanted to make the album like novel or play. Something like a imaginary soundtrack to a imaginary film. Everything starts with a single spark, and you are moved by the spark, I wanted to write about the story which starts from these sparks. I always want to grow as a musician, there are so much to learn and I am hungry to learn."

Reception

Jeff Winbush of ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' stated, "Hiromi continues to be one of the most inventive and awe-inspiring pianists in jazz today. Phillips' drumming is alternatingly both dynamic and precise. Jackson is the silent partner of the band, but is the glue which holds it together so it doesn't fly apart into undisciplined soloing... Hers is the piano in the ''Spark''." Thom Jurek of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

wrote "Spark integrates each element in this band's arsenal to create a whole that is provocative and seamless. Hiromi's band challenges modern music norms with authority. Their spirit of restless creativity is expressed with as much warmth and humor as technical acumen. The tunes here, though rigorous musical workouts, all reach the level of song -- not an accomplishment most piano trios can claim." S. Victor Aaron of ''Something Else!'' commented, "Hiromi has settled into a pattern with Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips with another one-word album (following Voice, Move and Alive) but in her case ‘settling’ doesn’t equate to ‘mediocre’. The one word that comes to mind when taking in Spark is ‘stimulating.’" In his review for ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Ni ...

'' Mike Hobart wrote, "As with her gigs, Hiromi’s muscular fluency conjoins styles with abandon in a series of flamboyant set pieces... Not much subtlety, but lots to excite."

Track listing

# Spark (9:04) # In a Trance (8:55) # Take Me Away (7:26) # Wonderland (5:43) # Indulgence (8:15) # Dilemma (8:51) # What Will Be, Will Be (7:43) # Wake Up and Dream (8:51) # All's Well (7:32)

Personnel

– piano, keys * Anthony Jackson –

contrabass guitar A contrabass guitar is a low-register bass guitar with four, five or six strings. It is often called, simply, a ''six string bass guitar''. The ''five string bass guitar'' is rarely called a contrabass guitar, even though it typically has the sam ...

* Simon Phillips – drums

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 2016 albums Hiromi Uehara albums