Customer Reviews

Jazz in the Garden

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Five ACOUSTICAL Stars!! This CD captures a great jazz 'Triumvirate' bristling with freshness, inventiveness, and new musical horizons. Jazz bass colossus Stanley Clarke formed this trio with his old 'Return to Forever' (RTF) drum stablemate Lenny White and the enormously-gifted Japanese jazz keyboard artist Hiromi. Mr Clarke is on both acoustical upright double bass violin and acoustical bass guitar. Messrs Clarke and White are indelibly linked with splendid 'RTF' keyboard titan Chick Corea. Hiromi, influenced both by Chick Corea (see Duet (Chick Corea & Hiromi) and piano legend Ahmad Jamal, is a formidable pianist/synth artist who leads her own high-energy dynamic groups, such as 'Sonic Boom' as heard on Time Control. Despite the players individual electric/fusion roots, these performances are all acoustical (and Clarke 'ups the ante' playing shoulder-slung acoustical bass guitar on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under The Bridge"). The repertoire consists of jazz fusion, standards, bebop, funk, and Japanese fusion impressionism and everyone is in superb form.

The 'best of the best' begin with the incredible "Global Tweak" with Clarke and Hiromi getting off some prodigious solos amid their interactions, with White sitting out. The most successful performances begin with the programmatic "Paradign Shift" and and the shimmering "Sakura Sakura". "Brain Training" is wonderfully complex and finds Hiromi swinging hard as Clarke and White push her along and solo in their own right. The beautiful "Sicilian Blue" has Clarke bowing in a rare beautiful demonstration of his superb acro abilities before Hiromi breaks free for a great but brief solo. "Someday My Prince Will Come" is a huge Clarke solo with ethereal backing. "Take the Coltrane" has Stanley and Lenny in a wonderful dialogue that is a 'wink back' to the legendary interaction of Trane's guys Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. The attractive theme "3 Wrong Notes" has a great solo by Hiromi, showing the influences of Bud, Bird, and Bill pushed by Stanley's idiomatic walking ability. Joe Henderson's "Isotope" is hard-swinging trio joy and Hiromi's left hand, soloing at times, is amazing showing her true ambidextrous ability that puts her in a special class of keyboard wizardry. This is an outstanding trio performance that works on many levels: individually, collectively, and compositionally: wonderfully recorded with all players at a clear, high level on the CD soundscape. Kudos to all concerned. This CD is Highly Recommended. Five EMPATHETIC Stars!

I don't think this lineup needs an introduction. Stanley and Lenny are fresh off the Return to Forever Reunion tour and they have paired up with one of the most talented young voices on piano, Hiromi. They have given themselves a nice range of material to work with: everything from standards in the jazz canon (someday my prince will come, isotope) to rock favorites (under the bridge).There is no need to say that they each perform excellently on each track.

The appeal of this band is undoubtedly the non-standard tact it brings to a trio outing like this. Stanley and Lenny are perhaps best known as pillars of the fusion supergroup Return to Forever and have each had extensive careers in that field. Hiromi has made a name for herself as an eclectic musician, bringing together interesting groups of musicians playing music in strange time signatures or with other similar quirks. Although this is an acoustic trio, they cant shake off the fusion. This leads to some really great reinterpretations of jazz standards. "Take the Coltrane" sounds normal enough at first, but it becomes immediately clear that Stanley dominates this version. Clarke has a unique way around the acoustic bass which allows him lead the song like a horn player or pianist might in any other combo. Similarly, the Joe Henderson tune "Isotope" starts off like any other, but is taken command of like few others. This time Hiromi also lends her hand at a spectacular solo.

there are also a handful of originals which are every bit as lively. My favorite is the album opener "Paradigm Shift (election day 2008)" which goes through two movements and provides what seems to me to be the most complete musical expression on the album. Also the Red Hot Chili Peppers song 'under the bridge' has truly spectacular Hiromi solo.

It isn't all good. First off, I dont know what that psuedo traditional Japanese sounding instrumentation at the beginning of 'Sakura Sakura' is supposed to do, especially since they do the rest of the song like a normal jazz tune, it sounds sort of out of place. I am also disappointed that Lenny white did not open up more on the drums. While he is an excellent background drummer, I felt often that he was sort of restrained behind the rest of the band. He had a few places to ope up, but not that much.

Ultimately, this was a real fun album. Not by any stretch the best any of these artists have done, but a really solid album that wont disappoint any fan.

this is undoubtably the best jazz trio cd iv"e purchased in the last ten years or so, possibly because of my admiration for hiromi. well young lady you placed yourself with some great talent and i"m sure you enjoyed playing with them, you fitted in as easily as placing a hand in a glove, great jazz suits you, i love it and am not taking anything away from your partners in this endevour. you are a very talented group, we can only sit back and hope for more ef the same in the near future, well done, would love to increase the star rating higher if it were possible. the very best of luck to the three of you as time goes by

Probably my all time favorite contemporary jazz trio release.

Unlike many musicians who fade away Stanley recreates himself by seeking out the newest, most talented young musicians to collaborate. And what a collaboration with Hiromi! Hiromi Uehara is a living legend in her own right. This trio with drummer Mr. White defines the modern Jazz Trio.

I have been a fan of Stanley Clarke and Lenny White for over 3 decades. This largely acoustic work including a wonderful pianist (Hiromi) provides a modern accent to the trio format. I would love to see them live. Clarke's work has become more pensive and his work on the upright bass is more melodic than his popular works on the electric bass. White's rhythms are more complimentary and subdued as compared with his work with Return to Forever. He is has clearly been a student of the "old school" and his work is flavorful without the need for crashing cymbals or the high volume used to play with amplified instruments. Very well done.

I routinely prefer Euro-jazz over most American jazz. This CD is some of the best American acoustic jazz I've heard in a long time. Euro-jazz tends to be somewhat down beat and moody. Jazz In The Garden is more upbeat and optimistic. Stanley definitely plays a dominant role in this trio. That's good if you're a Stanley Clarke fan. Personally, I would have liked to hear just a little bit more of Hiromi's piano. I like Stanley but the album would have been a little bit more balance with more Hiromi. I still gave it 5 stars because the musicianship is so excellent.

It's hard to believe that a mere trio could make this much music. A swirling interplay between the musicians makes you want to listen to it over and over again. The compositions and arrangements are rich and multi-textured. The solos are awesome. If this really is Clarke's first fully acoustic jazz recording than let's hope it starts a trend. He's long since proven himself in the electric/fusion generes and it's high time he stakes his claim as a traditional jazz master, which this album proves he is. This record will appeal to hard-core jazz fans as well as more casual listeners. You can't go wrong with this one. I really can't say enough about it.

A truly gorgeous album! Perhaps my favorite jazz album of all time is "Kind of Blue", by Miles Davis, but this comes pretty close, as far as that type of "vibe" goes. The beautiful music here is somewhat reminisent, even without trumpet and sax, which is saying a lot! Lenny's gentle riding on the cymbal reminds me of the soft rain sound of Jimmy Cobb on some of "Kind of Blue", along with Hiromi's less agressive feel and Stanley's acoustic bass. "Sakura Sakura", is simply beautiful!
For those who prefer the "hard stuff", (Stanley's great fusion), I would also highly recommend his new album, simply entitled "The Stanley Clarke Band", released last month, which also features Hiromi, and two other killer players, Ronald Bruner jr. and Ruslan Sirota.

As a long time Stanley Clarke fan, I really enjoyed this recording. It features solid drumming by Lenny White although I thought the solos didn't due his incredible talent justice. I'm just discovering Hiromi and she is a delight on piano with great chops! Stanley is excellent on acoustic but subdued especially compared to The Toys of Men. I recommend it for traditional jazz fans. For those purists who like Stanley composing and playing straight jazz, this is the recording you've been waiting for!

I like anything with Lenny White and Stanley Clarke in it.After listening to this cd i fell in love with it,i have played it over and over again.Ms.Hiromi is very gifted piano player.After listening to her play on several different tracks you find out just how good she is.I don"t think you will go wrong with the purchase of this cd.