VEIN & THE CHIHIRO YAMANAKA TRIO
Ronnie Scott's Club Soho 15th August 2015
"Sold Out" notices were in evidence long before the doors opened on the last night of the week long "International Piano Trio Festival" at Britain's most famous jazz club .
The house was packed to the doors to see and hear the phenomenon that is Chihiro Yamanaka.
The opening act Vein had flown in that afternoon from Switzerland for their support role to the headliner. This band of Michael Arbenz (pno) Thomas Lahns (bs) and Florian Arbenz (drs) have been together for six years and are making waves across the breadth of Europe with a brand of inventive modernity based on a solid piano trio tradition.Unlike many others they require no electronic accessories to show just how far these three traditional instruments can take the music.
Nattily attired and with good audience communication they started their forty-five minute set with a most off the wall and high tempo rendering of "Summertime", the identity of the tune not becoming fully apparent until the last few bars. Originals penned by the band "Boarding The Boat", "Black Tortoise" and "No Change Is Strange" all highlighted the great inventiveness,and instant changes of direction these musicians are capable off. Particularly impressive was the dark and brooding bass contributions from Thomas Lahns. "Eat The Rich" and "Funky Monkey" brought some of the Cecil Taylor overtones from the leaders piano but overall one could not think other than that the group sound was right out of EST and their late lamented leader Esbjorn Svensson.
In total contrast to what had gone before, and what was to come, we were treated to a solo piano interpretation of Duke's "Reflections In D" played straight and with great feeling by Michael Arbenz. The set closed with a mighty drum solo that segued into "A Boat For Vein" from their latest album" Vote For Vein," introduced by the leader as "We are going to ban weekends but vote for us anyway" ! We all did as the set ended to a well deserved ovation.
The house was packed to the doors to see and hear the phenomenon that is Chihiro Yamanaka.
The opening act Vein had flown in that afternoon from Switzerland for their support role to the headliner. This band of Michael Arbenz (pno) Thomas Lahns (bs) and Florian Arbenz (drs) have been together for six years and are making waves across the breadth of Europe with a brand of inventive modernity based on a solid piano trio tradition.Unlike many others they require no electronic accessories to show just how far these three traditional instruments can take the music.
Nattily attired and with good audience communication they started their forty-five minute set with a most off the wall and high tempo rendering of "Summertime", the identity of the tune not becoming fully apparent until the last few bars. Originals penned by the band "Boarding The Boat", "Black Tortoise" and "No Change Is Strange" all highlighted the great inventiveness,and instant changes of direction these musicians are capable off. Particularly impressive was the dark and brooding bass contributions from Thomas Lahns. "Eat The Rich" and "Funky Monkey" brought some of the Cecil Taylor overtones from the leaders piano but overall one could not think other than that the group sound was right out of EST and their late lamented leader Esbjorn Svensson.
In total contrast to what had gone before, and what was to come, we were treated to a solo piano interpretation of Duke's "Reflections In D" played straight and with great feeling by Michael Arbenz. The set closed with a mighty drum solo that segued into "A Boat For Vein" from their latest album" Vote For Vein," introduced by the leader as "We are going to ban weekends but vote for us anyway" ! We all did as the set ended to a well deserved ovation.
The piano tuner worked flat for the whole of the thirty minute interval preparing the Yamaha Grand before the entrance of super star Chihiro Yamanaka flanked by the Italian pairing of Aldo Vigorito (bs) and Mikey Salgarello (drs). With twenty albums to her name,rave reviews all around the world plus appearances at Carnegie Hall and The Vienna Opera House the packed audience were rightly expecting great things. They were not to be disappointed in any way shape or form. Placing her cup of tea carefully on the floor and introducing herself with modesty and charm, she had already won the audience over before a note was played.
The set opened with "Living Without Friday", a sixteen minute kaleidoscopic journey across the whole breadth of the instrument with flashing runs at breakneck speed, dispersed with quiet and delicate passages for good measure. Bass and drums were solid and inventive with a seemingly telepathic understanding of where the changes would come. Somehow they maintained this standard throughout the evening. A heavyweight reading of the Brubeck/Desmond legendary tune "Take Five" followed" delighted the crowd and included a second reading of the theme statement as delicate and moving as you will ever hear.
A self penned tune "Staccato", where once again the whole of the instrument came under a pounding assault was segued into "When You Wish Upon A Star" from Disney's Pinocchio, an appropriate sentiment,as Chihiro explained, to reflect the seventieth anniversary of VJ Day. It was time for a track from the band's latest album "Syncopation Hazard" and unsurprisingly the Scott Joplin classic " The Entertainer" in "My crazy arrangement" was chosen. This was a rollicking and circus like at times with many twists,turns and oblique references to the the tune as anyone could handle .
Bassist Aldo Vigorito took centre stage for a superb opening solo on Beethoven's "Fuer Elise" from 1867 which then transformed into a delicate and reflective piano reading of this most romantic of themes, before being turned on it's head to something akin to a fast blues with the pianist's thunderous left hand to the fore. The final piece ,composed by the leader "Rain, Rain And More Rain" was performed in homage to those killed in the tragic Fukushima earthquakes of 2011 and 2012. The melody was introduced slowly and with great passion, until the final bars grew in strength and tempo to a tumultuous close.
At the end of the performance a number of questions came to mind, Firstly can any pianist play at such an incredible tempo and still give the impression of so much use of time and space.? How can a virtuoso of such magnitude and technique always keep a true jazz feeling.?
Maybe there are no answers, but one final question may shed some light. Had the audience been in the presence of genius.? The answer, a resounding YES.
Reviewed By Jim Burlong
The set opened with "Living Without Friday", a sixteen minute kaleidoscopic journey across the whole breadth of the instrument with flashing runs at breakneck speed, dispersed with quiet and delicate passages for good measure. Bass and drums were solid and inventive with a seemingly telepathic understanding of where the changes would come. Somehow they maintained this standard throughout the evening. A heavyweight reading of the Brubeck/Desmond legendary tune "Take Five" followed" delighted the crowd and included a second reading of the theme statement as delicate and moving as you will ever hear.
A self penned tune "Staccato", where once again the whole of the instrument came under a pounding assault was segued into "When You Wish Upon A Star" from Disney's Pinocchio, an appropriate sentiment,as Chihiro explained, to reflect the seventieth anniversary of VJ Day. It was time for a track from the band's latest album "Syncopation Hazard" and unsurprisingly the Scott Joplin classic " The Entertainer" in "My crazy arrangement" was chosen. This was a rollicking and circus like at times with many twists,turns and oblique references to the the tune as anyone could handle .
Bassist Aldo Vigorito took centre stage for a superb opening solo on Beethoven's "Fuer Elise" from 1867 which then transformed into a delicate and reflective piano reading of this most romantic of themes, before being turned on it's head to something akin to a fast blues with the pianist's thunderous left hand to the fore. The final piece ,composed by the leader "Rain, Rain And More Rain" was performed in homage to those killed in the tragic Fukushima earthquakes of 2011 and 2012. The melody was introduced slowly and with great passion, until the final bars grew in strength and tempo to a tumultuous close.
At the end of the performance a number of questions came to mind, Firstly can any pianist play at such an incredible tempo and still give the impression of so much use of time and space.? How can a virtuoso of such magnitude and technique always keep a true jazz feeling.?
Maybe there are no answers, but one final question may shed some light. Had the audience been in the presence of genius.? The answer, a resounding YES.
Reviewed By Jim Burlong
