Yoko Miwa Trio just released their ninth CD, Songs Of Joy. Boston by way of Tokyo jazz pianist Yoko Miwa, again, offers her own original compositions while making her own with special arrangements songs written by the geniuses of modern music.
Miwa, still possessing a flair for arranging popular music, opens her jazz heavy album with her own rendition of Richie Haven’s history making Woodstock performance song “Freedom.” This version becomes about the “Freedom” of jazz, a freedom to take the original piece in as of yet unimaginable directions. Miwa plays cascading notes with emphasis on left hand bass notes to capture the restless spirit of the Havens number. She also plays lighter melodic notes that hit less harder, capturing the festive vibe of the famous Havens performance. Drummer Scott Goulding’s brief solo finds him slapping out a groove, mirroring the slapping acoustic guitar notes of yesteryear’s approach.
Miwa’s trio segue into her own composition “Largo Desolato.” One can feel as well as the hear the influence of Latin rhythms in her strident mix of melody and bass notes as well as the subtle stick work. Miwa’s piano notes unfurl in an enthusiastic tumble, a hip feeling that gets a polite nudge from the Will Slater approach on acoustic bass. One can almost picture all of the notes dancing through the air as they support each other while moving through their thick, tumble motions. Eventually, the tumble thins out as the three play sparser takes on the main theme, keeping us engaged with brisk playing and jubilant expression.
Miwa utilizes Billy Preston’s “Songs Of Joy” as her title track. This makes perfect sense as Miwa’s approach has always been motivated by a sense of happiness through triumph.. She survived post-earthquake trauma in her native Japan which left her with nothing she cannot handle. This take on Preston’s song moves through a pleasant flight of bright piano notes supported by a light groove. Miwa injects a lot of sudden notes and the contrast with her easeful rhythm section highlights the strength of both.
“Small Talk,” another Miwa original, feels like a bar scene in a 1950s film noir picture. Miwa’s unobtrusive melody line reminds of low key conversation that one might have at a corner bar during a lonely time. She just keeps tapping out numerous notes that do not overwhelm the subtle atmosphere, Occasionally, drummer Goulding chimes with brief but busy fills, indicating that the conversation is becoming more interesting and that two are becoming interested.
Consisting of light touches played on each instrument “The Lonely Hours” conjures a feeling of solitude. Miwa’s down tempo notes are loaded with forlorn emotion, a sadness that is not going away any time soon. Will Slater’s acoustic bass notes are juicy in tone yet subtle, subdued in execution, layering more sensitivity around the piano melody. There is a spark of tempo and dynamics that gives a needed arc to this track, yet when it subsides to the initial theme it reinforces what this tune is all about. This piece could easily end up being used in a movie seen as a displaced soul sits at a bar or goes for a long reflective walk.
Duke Jordan’s “No Problem” is a speedy, zippy number. Miwa plays a ripple of colorful notes perfectly punctuated with dark chords. A run of bass notes alongside that melody as well as a mad dash of drumming completes the urgent pace. Tempo, color, and tone all combine to conjure a scene of action. This piece could be the soundtrack to a marathon or a police raid on a speakeasy when everyone tries to evade the law.
Original piece “The Rainbirds” is the most challenging piece on her album. It is an enjoyable tune, yet its musical theme evades the listener. Raindrop piano notes are plentiful in color and tone before each is swiftly replaced by the next. Rivulets of subtle bass notes and stick work move stealthily beneath the melody. As the piece switches to a swifter tempo and an increase in dynamics, its original theme expands, becoming a much wider sonic landscape. Yet, again, it’s a mystery as to what this music intends to convey. It has not the vibe of aloneness nor a rush of urgency. It is a thick batch of notes that hold together like glue and its appeal lies in its aural Rorschach test.
Yoko Miwa Trio are always up for a challenge. The trio dives into the Thelonious Monk “Think Of One” with unabashed zeal. Miwa, relying on the technique obstinate, repeats the theme, nimbly, over a quick turn in the rhythm. Her melodic notes and bass chords waltz around each other as juicy upright bass notes perk and sticks keep hitting snare. Miwa widens the melodic texture while increasing the tempo, a feat matched by her rhythm section as they gain speed within a tight framework of expression. This all results in a meaty number that the listener can keep examining for even greater depth.
Miwa’s piece “Inside A Dream” plays out like its title. The dream is a pleasant one, with Miwa tinkling down tempo, playing notes that feel as subtle as a tap on the shoulder. She switches from lines of quick, quiet notes to a ripples of thicker harder, creating a turn in the piece’s emotion. Will Slater presses tender little notes out of his upright bass. Together, it’s like a conversation between two after a big event involving guests who have now gone home.
Yoko Miwa Trio go into Tony Germain’s “Tony Blues,” a hip number that feels like something played at a speakeasy or a jazz piano bar. Miwa’s combination of high pretty notes and sudden, heavier bass notes inject this piece with an unpredictable personality. Her pacing is uncannily good, a tap dance of piano notes that strut over two different dynamics.
The trio close out with their own rendition of Anne Bredon’s “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You,” a folk song recorded by folk artist Joan Baez as well as by hard rock legends Led Zeppelin. Guest musician Brad Barrett stretches his acoustic upright bass notes into an almost cello like sound, and he makes his instrument sing the notes. Miwa offers a cascade of twisting high notes and swaggering heavy, dark notes that capture the churning emotions of the original composition. Led Zeppelin might be envious of the intensity captured by the increasing piano dynamics and with how drummer Scott Goulding speeds the piece forward with a multitude of fills.
With Songs Of Joy, recorded by Matt Hayes at Wellspring Sound Studios in Acton, Massachusetts, and mastered by Toby Mountain at Northeastern Digital, Miwa has done it again. She has created an album of tunes that lets each song speak for itself, bringing their emotive content to the forefront of the listener’s consciousness. Songs Of Joy is truly an album of joy. Listeners will appreciate what they are hearing as well as what they are feeling as this nearly 71 minutes of music graces their stereo speakers.
