KIMIKO ISHIZAKA - New Me!
https://kimiko-piano.com/home
Composed and performed by Kimiko Ishizaka
Recorded at the Teldex Studio, Berlin, on April 16, 2019
Kimiko Ishizaka was born to German-Japanese parents in Bonn, Germany. Piano studies with her mother began at the age of 4 followed by conservatory studies with Professor Roswitha Gediga-Glombitza at the Hochschule für Musik Köln and later Professor Peter Feuchtwanger, Professor Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, the Alban Berg Quartet, and the Amadeus Quartet. From the tender age of 5, Ishizaka was a respected soloist and chamber performer, especially in the context of the Ishizaka Trio, which consisted of her and her younger brothers ( both also music prodigies) on violin and 'cello. The trio played together for 16 years, receiving wide critical acclaim. Kimiko has been a soloist since 2000, performing Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, and Gershwin, and establishing herself as an interpreter of Bach and Chopin. She has appeared at festivals world-wide. Her recordings of Bach in particular have earned critical acclaim and she composed her own ending for his “Kunst der Fuge” ( which was unfinished at the time of Bach;s death). In 2019, Kimiko released an album of 10 pieces that she composed herself. ‘New Me!’, features jazz harmonies with classical forms.
Kimiko describes the pieces as ' classical, informed by jazz harmonies, as well as Bach. In them I present two fugues, a canon, a theme-and-variation, among other classical forms. The pieces are predominantly written in four voices (thanks Bach!) but all of the harmonic structures explore modern jazz, and the pieces have subtitles like 'Modal Interchange Functions' and 'ii-V-i Substitutions' ".
The album opens with 'New Me!' which at first sounds relatively simple until you listen closely to what is going on in the left and right hands. Different progressions, different rhythms and tempos yet they come together to create a wonderful merge of sounds which blend perfectly the harmonics of classical composition with the joyful delivery of jazz. It is short but very sweet. ' Two Hearts' is gentle, slow and would sit as easily in a classical collection as it does in a jazz - orientated CD. The only real nod to jazz is in the swung cadences and the inflections but it is very listenable. 'Woozy Heights' is gentle again but this tune has attitude as the disharmonies occur - deliberately placed to check any change of the listener thinking this is an easy listen. Delightful and quirky.
'Expectation' has a Joplinesque vibe to it at first but this is quickly replaced by rivulets of sounds which chase each other up, down and merge together at time, creating a sense of anticipation with the changes which happen as the tempo is withdrawn then re-expanded - very effective. ' Forget- Me-Not' is pretty, elegant and created using repeated but slightly differing musical motifs - a very lyrical interpretation of her own composition and the sense with this piece is that it could be played in so many different ways and bring a different atmosphere each time . 'Our Time Is Running' is melodic with rhythmic and tempo changes with the phrases whilst 'Blues Variations' is pretty much exquisite with all the elements of the blues , the blue notes, the pull backs, the swing, the emotive slowness of it all, the heavy left hand which never quite loses rhythm ( but does come close at one point). This is a great track and the variations are there, explored and delivered in style. ' What Love Meant To You' is emotive, atmospheric and varied, the music painting lyrical ideas and exploring them, whilst 'Water Under Our Bridge' is a delightful sojourn into summer; riverside walks, water trinkling past, the piano deftly evoking images of water flowing at different speeds, the light bouncing, skies reflected the colours are evocatively painted by this master pianist. ' Walk Of Lonely Memories' is interesting for its change of moods, the darker, slightly swung rhythms creating a sense of impending menace, with use of the lower octaves under the brighter upper right hand work.
The CD is an interesting one because the piano playing is note-perfect, the delivery technically wonderful and the emotive style is developing. In some tracks you can hear a real jazz player whilst in others you get the sense there is such a classical base, with a classical pianist exploring and somehow learning the jazz styles in a technical way. But , and this is what is interesting, there is also that wonderful sense of something coming. It is difficult to change the delivery style one thing I would definitely say is that there is more to come in the jazz style and feel - and that 'more; should be encouraged.
Kimiko is current featured musician on Classic Radio International at https://www.247classicalradio.com/featured-musicians/kimiko-ishizaka-pianist/
Reviewed by Sammy Stein
https://kimiko-piano.com/home
Composed and performed by Kimiko Ishizaka
Recorded at the Teldex Studio, Berlin, on April 16, 2019
Kimiko Ishizaka was born to German-Japanese parents in Bonn, Germany. Piano studies with her mother began at the age of 4 followed by conservatory studies with Professor Roswitha Gediga-Glombitza at the Hochschule für Musik Köln and later Professor Peter Feuchtwanger, Professor Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, the Alban Berg Quartet, and the Amadeus Quartet. From the tender age of 5, Ishizaka was a respected soloist and chamber performer, especially in the context of the Ishizaka Trio, which consisted of her and her younger brothers ( both also music prodigies) on violin and 'cello. The trio played together for 16 years, receiving wide critical acclaim. Kimiko has been a soloist since 2000, performing Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, and Gershwin, and establishing herself as an interpreter of Bach and Chopin. She has appeared at festivals world-wide. Her recordings of Bach in particular have earned critical acclaim and she composed her own ending for his “Kunst der Fuge” ( which was unfinished at the time of Bach;s death). In 2019, Kimiko released an album of 10 pieces that she composed herself. ‘New Me!’, features jazz harmonies with classical forms.
Kimiko describes the pieces as ' classical, informed by jazz harmonies, as well as Bach. In them I present two fugues, a canon, a theme-and-variation, among other classical forms. The pieces are predominantly written in four voices (thanks Bach!) but all of the harmonic structures explore modern jazz, and the pieces have subtitles like 'Modal Interchange Functions' and 'ii-V-i Substitutions' ".
The album opens with 'New Me!' which at first sounds relatively simple until you listen closely to what is going on in the left and right hands. Different progressions, different rhythms and tempos yet they come together to create a wonderful merge of sounds which blend perfectly the harmonics of classical composition with the joyful delivery of jazz. It is short but very sweet. ' Two Hearts' is gentle, slow and would sit as easily in a classical collection as it does in a jazz - orientated CD. The only real nod to jazz is in the swung cadences and the inflections but it is very listenable. 'Woozy Heights' is gentle again but this tune has attitude as the disharmonies occur - deliberately placed to check any change of the listener thinking this is an easy listen. Delightful and quirky.
'Expectation' has a Joplinesque vibe to it at first but this is quickly replaced by rivulets of sounds which chase each other up, down and merge together at time, creating a sense of anticipation with the changes which happen as the tempo is withdrawn then re-expanded - very effective. ' Forget- Me-Not' is pretty, elegant and created using repeated but slightly differing musical motifs - a very lyrical interpretation of her own composition and the sense with this piece is that it could be played in so many different ways and bring a different atmosphere each time . 'Our Time Is Running' is melodic with rhythmic and tempo changes with the phrases whilst 'Blues Variations' is pretty much exquisite with all the elements of the blues , the blue notes, the pull backs, the swing, the emotive slowness of it all, the heavy left hand which never quite loses rhythm ( but does come close at one point). This is a great track and the variations are there, explored and delivered in style. ' What Love Meant To You' is emotive, atmospheric and varied, the music painting lyrical ideas and exploring them, whilst 'Water Under Our Bridge' is a delightful sojourn into summer; riverside walks, water trinkling past, the piano deftly evoking images of water flowing at different speeds, the light bouncing, skies reflected the colours are evocatively painted by this master pianist. ' Walk Of Lonely Memories' is interesting for its change of moods, the darker, slightly swung rhythms creating a sense of impending menace, with use of the lower octaves under the brighter upper right hand work.
The CD is an interesting one because the piano playing is note-perfect, the delivery technically wonderful and the emotive style is developing. In some tracks you can hear a real jazz player whilst in others you get the sense there is such a classical base, with a classical pianist exploring and somehow learning the jazz styles in a technical way. But , and this is what is interesting, there is also that wonderful sense of something coming. It is difficult to change the delivery style one thing I would definitely say is that there is more to come in the jazz style and feel - and that 'more; should be encouraged.
Kimiko is current featured musician on Classic Radio International at https://www.247classicalradio.com/featured-musicians/kimiko-ishizaka-pianist/
Reviewed by Sammy Stein
