Album Review: Keiko Matsui – The Road…
Normally I keep a safe sonic distance from anything that might be described as a jazz/new age hybrid. I generally like a bit of oomph in my music. But a disc that found its way into my inbox has also worked its way into my head. The Road… is the latest album from pianist Keiko Matsui, and though it most decidedly falls into the aforementioned genre classification, there’s a good bit more happening there. One needs to open up the ears a bit.
Matsui has released more than twenty albums, yet I had never heard (or heard of) the Tokyo-born keyboardist. That’s not altogether surprising, since she travels musical paths which I don’t follow. Yet while her music may best be described as new-age jazz, her compositional and performance styles have clearly been informed by other types of music. The accompaniment alone provides clues of this; though all the songs are built around her acoustic piano, there is plenty of synthesizer work, fretless bass guitar, ethnic percussion and classical instrumentation.
Keiko’s Matsui’s choice of musicians also makes it clear that she’s not content merely to provide soundtracks for elevator rides: how else to explain the presence of Vinnie Colaiuta on drums (even if the liner notes don’t spell his name correctly)? And sly little musical references abound on The Road…; “Falcon’s Wing” quotes ever-so-briefly from Edvard Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”
“Bohemian Concerto” features an introduction that (subtly) suggests progressive rock, and then heads into a catchy and straightforward melodic line. Elements of samba and Eastern European styles also figure into the song, but it all works somehow.
Close listening is a rewarding experience. But of course the casual listener can ignore all that, and let the tunes – mostly instrumental but occasionally featuring unobtrusive vocals from multi-instrumentalist Richard Bona) drift placidly, tunefully by.
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About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.