Ring [Enhanced]

Keiko Matsui | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 1, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B00006J3ZU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,725 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The involving music of Tokyo-born pianist Keiko Matsui occupies a satin-lined cloud that floats among smooth jazz, traditional jazz, crossover classical, and New Age territory, sometimes radiating a winsome beneficence, sometimes thundering with complex, ominous beauty. With each successive track, the music acquires interesting new shapes, and it's possible that no two listeners will arrive at the same interpretation of the imagery it evokes.

Matsui's works--for piano, small ensemble, and, on occasion, flamenco guitar and small orchestra--are lovely and gentle in spirit. She uses an inviting mélange of styles to articulate her wish for a soothed human condition (the title refers to a symbol for power and its inherent misapplications). These range from an animated jazz piano workout ("Prism") to the cascading, flamenco-tinged "White Owl." By blending improvisation and graceful melody with unexpectedly bold flourishes and surprising textural turns, Matsui effectively strings together 10 tracks that are unpredictable yet attractively cohesive, arranged in storytelling fashion. The result is a 14th career album that yields one of Matsui's most intriguing efforts. --Terry Wood

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars are not enough for this CD!, December 17, 2002

By 

William J. Finn "wjf88" (Sarasota Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ring (Audio CD)

Some artists continue to repeat themselves for a lifetime, many others simply burn out after two or three albums. What I hear in Keiko Matsui seems kind of rare in contemporary music. This new release is a case in point. Still somewhat based on the tribal rhythms of DEEP BLUE, it also has a much jazzier sound in many selections, such as Venus of the Sea, Prism and Messenger. But it is not exactly the same jazzy sound you would have heard in her great SAPPHIRE album either. What you will hear is one of the most unique talents in contemporary instrumental music, who is still evolving musically. As much Keiko as ever, but with as with nearly all of her albums, some new twists as well. Did I say new? Well yes, but based on some wonderful influences. The addition of flamenco guitarist Alberto De Almar created nearly the effect of an updated duet between Antonio Carlos Jobim and say, Henry Mancini on Messenger. There is a subtlety in this CD that is not unlike the Bosa Nova of the 1960's.

What ultimately matters however is that this is another terrific CD release from Keiko Matsui who users her heart, mind and hands to create another gem. Credit also to Derek Nakamoto, who again made the colorful arrangements and Kazu Matsui who produces what I would term the "un-cola" in the NAC field. Just way cool. Hip as well.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I admit: In Many Ways an improvement, February 16, 2003

By 

J. L Pusateri "pusateri99" (rockville, md United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ring (Audio CD)

Anyone who initially read this review would know that "The Ring" was given 2 stars by yours truly. To set the record straight, I gave this CD more time in the player to see if my initial inclination was right on. I was wrong. "The Ring" has turned out to be one of the best CD's of Keiko's collection. For those of you (like me) who associated Keiko's music with saxophones and straight jazz rythms, this new Cd may well be recieved as a disappointment. GIVE IT TIME! Starting on track one, using 3 or 4 basic notes, she weaves those notes into a cacaphony of rythms and melodies that will sweep you into the following 9 tracks. My personal favorite tracks are #1, #2, certified radio hit,Venus of the Sea, which should be copied by Segio Mendes, great back beat, to #4, funky, awsome pauses, great piano riffs, and HORNS!, #5 earnest piano, heart rendering melody, #6 "Messenger" certified hit, better than "White Gate", should be a top 10 hit easily, #7 pure piano, great samba rythms, violin back up, I'd love to hear track 7 with the BSO or Navy Band Orchestra as a back up, and #10, which reminds me a lot of #5. You can have tracks 3 and 8. Not my cup of Ginseng. This CD really does take us on an auditory adventure. I must admit,I had given up on Ms. Matsui and her highly disappointing transition from smooth jazz to quiet piano, but this Cd shows that she is moving back in the right direction. I must admit I still miss the jazzy percussions and Paul Taylor-esque style of horns that made her such a success in this country, but change is difficult, and if dealt with appropriately, can be rewarding. In summary, buy it and give it a chance. You won't be disappointed.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Romantic, February 28, 2005

By 

Kenneth M. Goodman (Cleveland, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ring (Audio CD)

Of three favorite Keiko CDs (Wildflower, Deep Blue and The Ring)
The Ring is the most consistently "romantic," while Wildflower uses electronica best; and Deep Blue stands between them. I would like to give all potential buyers of Keiko CDs some advice I wish someone had given to me: If you want to hear Keiko Matsui at her best; that is, without a lot of distracting vocals and too-smooth saxaphone solos that make you cringe; then, in general, be wary about buying any of her work on the "Shout" label, and buy only from her work on the "Narada" label. Now---let's not forget Whisper From The Mirror: Matsui's most magically magnificent music, with superlative use of bass...Whisper From The Mirror is
a MIGHTY FINE CD.