Hiromi The Trio Project performing "Alive" (live in the studio)

Hiromi is very good, she is a monster of technique, but there is something about her that doesn't convince me; I find her hyper-technicality sometimes ends in itself, for example here I couldn't listen beyond 4 minutes, it tires me, it "stresses" me. I don't think I could endure one of her concerts in its entirety, nor one of her albums; in fact, I have always listened only to single tracks and in most cases I have always had this feeling of "anxiety"......

I have listened to several of her works; those from a few years ago do not suffer from the problem you describe. In fact, this piece also gave me the impression of too much technique and too little music. She is certainly someone who makes choices, and I suspect that even in today's Jazz, there is this need to show off technique above all else. This obviously cannot apply to everyone, but I am starting to become convinced that it might be a common "problem" in the music world

I don't know Hiromi at all, so I am expressing an opinion only on this video: a decent pianist, but I wouldn't define her as a virtuoso. The sound isn't anything special, and once past the theme, which is well played, I find that the piano solo is rhythmically a bit disconnected from the rest. Doing things in odd meters "by force" sometimes has consequences like this. I don't even like this type of piece very much; aside from the attempt at acrobatics (half-successful), I don't find anything interesting in it.

I agree with leoravera, they are good nonetheless, though if one wanted to split hairs... Between us, technically our Simone, who posted a video played on a short Steinway, seems more skilled to me across various lengths. It is much easier to play on the D.

leoravera wrote:

Doing things unevenly "by force" sometimes has consequences like these.

Could you develop this concept further?

@Leo

A solo performance of his/hers

In general, even if younger, I find him/her more interesting here (obviously, not his/her faces)

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Stefanus wrote:

Between us, technically our Simone, who posted a video playing on a short Steinway, seems more skilled to me across various lengths. It is much easier to play on the D.

But look, in my opinion, it's a comparison that shouldn't be made; here we aren't saying who is more or less technically skilled, also because the genres are different. In jazz (and Hiromi is a jazz musician), hyper-technicality can even be deleterious; a jazz musician is required to know how to "dirty it up" in the right way and to always be RELAXED, especially in fast passages. Just listen to Oscar Peterson or Stefano Bollani or Chick Corea to verify that this sense of lack of breath isn't there; Peterson is much "dirtier" than Hiromi, but he is dirty in the right way, he is always IN the music, he doesn't chase the music. I find Hiromi exaggerated even in melodic pieces, where her expressiveness becomes excessive even in gesture and facial expression; I find this flaw somewhat in Al Jarreau as well, whereas I don't find it, for example, in Bobby McFerrin, just to make a comparison with singers.

The other musicians playing with her are session musicians: Anthony Jackson (probably the best session bassist around, who has played practically with everyone), a powerhouse where whatever you put in front of him he plays instantly without any difficulty, and Simon Phillips, who as it happens is not a jazz drummer, but more for crossover situations, like jazz-rock, progressive rock, and things like that.

Anyway, to realize what I'm saying, just post a solo piano version of any Oscar Peterson track or Maple Leaf Rag performed by Bollani and verify that the music flows without "performance anxiety".....

Thank goodness for good things... Jokes aside... I agree with Geppino. A comparison that is generally not good to make, but in this context, it simply cannot be done, even if one wanted to. Jazz and Classical music, in terms of technique and more, are two completely separate things. It would be like comparing steak to potatoes; the argument doesn't hold up. One thing I can say about Hiromi is that she is a pianist whom I don't dislike within her genre. Certainly, I don't much appreciate her way of interpreting, which appeals more to the eye of the public than to the ear. I don't remember if it was her in another video who was actually crying while playing. To me, these seem like things done solely to make a video go viral, wanting to exaggerate images that strike me as a bit ridiculous.

Yes it was her, she had the tear on command....it is interesting to note how there are videos online of her very young, around 12-13-14 years old, playing similar pieces but in a more "human" way and I like it more. Probably market logics have led her to extremize certain situations, both technical and emotional, reaching exaggeration in some cases....

geppino12575 wrote:

....it is interesting to note how there are videos online of her very young, around 12-13-14 years old, playing similar pieces but in a more "human" way and I like it more.

As I was saying, I have the same impression.

Egidio wrote:

Could you develop this concept further?

Some pieces are "born" odd and are smooth to listen to, for example Brubeck's Take Five (5/4) or Pink Floyd's Money (7/8).

In other cases, my feeling is that the piece was deliberately complicated after the fact, to do something different and original, by forcibly inserting odd elements. In this case, the music often results in being heavy and unnatural.

Egidio wrote:

@Leo

A solo performance of hers

In general, even if younger, I find her more interesting here (obviously, not her faces)

I confirm my first impression; in fact, here the lack of attention to sound and a notable approximation from a rhythmic point of view is even more manifest.

To avoid any misunderstanding: she is an excellent pianist, extremely talented, and has certainly dedicated years or perhaps her entire life to studying the instrument, for which she has all my respect.

Following a video of a very young Stephanie Trick, in my opinion, she is indeed an authentic virtuoso of the instrument. Although she is little more than a child here, one can notice the extreme softness of the left hand's wrist and the sharp, precise rhythm, two qualities that I have not yet detected in the very good Hiromi.

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It might be Leo, but I prefer Hiromi.

She is certainly good, but stylistically she doesn't quite grab me.

Well, obviously Hiromi is on another planet compared to this young girl, let's not joke; if we want to make comparisons to highlight Hiromi's "immaturities," we must make comparisons with the greats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgmnlwjTRRw

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