Spark
Studio album by
Hiromi
ReleasedFebruary 12, 2016
RecordedOctober 9–12, 2015
StudioPower Station New England, Waterford, Connecticut.
GenreJazz, post-bop
Length72:11
LabelTelarc
ProducerHiromi Uehara, Michael Bishop
Hiromi chronology
Alive
(2014)		 Spark
(2016)		 Spectrum
(2019)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[1]
AllMusic[2]
Financial Times[3]
Jazzwise[4]

Spark is the fourth and final studio album from Hiromi Uehara's Trio Project featuring bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Simon Phillips. The album was released on February 12, 2016 by Telarc.

The album reached the No. 1 position on Billboard Jazz Albums chart for the week of April 23, 2016.

Background

In her interview for Saskatoon StarPhoenix Uehara commented, "I wanted to make the album like novel or play. Something like a imaginary soundtrack to a imaginary film. Everything starts with a single spark, and you are moved by the spark, I wanted to write about the story which starts from these sparks. I always want to grow as a musician, there are so much to learn and I am hungry to learn."[5]

Reception

Jeff Winbush of All About Jazz stated, "Hiromi continues to be one of the most inventive and awe-inspiring pianists in jazz today. Phillips' drumming is alternatingly both dynamic and precise. Jackson is the silent partner of the band, but is the glue which holds it together so it doesn't fly apart into undisciplined soloing... Hers is the piano in the Spark."[1] Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote "Spark integrates each element in this band's arsenal to create a whole that is provocative and seamless. Hiromi's band challenges modern music norms with authority. Their spirit of restless creativity is expressed with as much warmth and humor as technical acumen. The tunes here, though rigorous musical workouts, all reach the level of song -- not an accomplishment most piano trios can claim."[2] S. Victor Aaron of Something Else! commented, "Hiromi has settled into a pattern with Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips with another one-word album (following Voice, Move and Alive) but in her case ‘settling’ doesn’t equate to ‘mediocre’. The one word that comes to mind when taking in Spark is ‘stimulating.’"[6] In his review for Financial Times Mike Hobart wrote, "As with her gigs, Hiromi’s muscular fluency conjoins styles with abandon in a series of flamboyant set pieces... Not much subtlety, but lots to excite."[3]

Track listing

  1. Spark (9:04)
  2. In a Trance (8:55)
  3. Take Me Away (7:26)
  4. Wonderland (5:43)
  5. Indulgence (8:15)
  6. Dilemma (8:51)
  7. What Will Be, Will Be (7:43)
  8. Wake Up and Dream (8:51)
  9. All's Well (7:32)

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 Winbush, Jeff (April 1, 2016). "Hiromi: Spark". All About Jazz. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  2. 1 2 Jurek, Thom. "Spark - Hiromi | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  3. 1 2 Hobart, Mike (29 April 2016). "Hiromi: Spark — review". Financial Times. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  4. ↑ Robson, Andy (April 2016). "Review Search". Jazzwise. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  5. ↑ McKay, Stephanie (26 June 2016). "Musical spark: Hiromi pushes boundaries of jazz, pop and classical | Saskatoon StarPhoenix". Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  6. ↑ Aaron, S. Victor (31 March 2016). "Hiromi - Spark (2016)". Something Else!. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
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