Voice

Hiromi hits upon the ideal vehicle to showcase her love for jazz, classical music and rock with the Trio Project. The rock element is superbly provided by Simon Phillips. Anthony Jackson plays his own cumbersome and unique contrabass. If this album has a flaw it is that Jackson does not have enough opportunity to shine. This is a minor quibble which does not detract from a five star review.

SUPER

In a way this is almost a distillation of Hiromi up to this point. Sure she's done trio's before, but there's something trimmer, tighter and even more perfect about it this time around.Quite frankly this is magnificent, Hiromi's talent and virtuosity is spellbinding, without being cold and vulgar (Lang Lang I'm looking at you) and yes she can play quietly and beautifully as well as loud and fast.Anthony Jackson's bass backs Hiromi up perfectly, and although Steve Smith is playing a majority of the live dates, Simon Phillips is certainly no slouch either, and the drumming here is exquisite, not least the frantic double-pedalling that pops up from time to time.Stand-out tracks include the opening title track, Labyrinth (a previous version of which having appeared on the Stanley Clarke band album, though for my mind this one's better) and Devotion (which feels like an album closer proper before the perhaps a bit too abrupt change of pace with the Beethoven Pathetique Sonata version). Special mention to the solo piano track Haze which is almost restrained. Almost.I love this album so much I bought 10 copies and gave them out to my friends.In the words of the great lady herself: "Music purifies every emotion and makes them positive. Anything pathetic, all worries, and all sadness." Indeed, Hiromi, indeed.

I just love Hiromi. She has her own style and even when playing stuff I don't particularly like I have to admire her amazing tallent

Great virtuosity and mix of styles from this young emerging talent in jazz. Full of energy.

I heard her with this "trio project" and went and bought the albums the same day.. I love this music.

I saw Hiromi at the Blue Note in New York in April this year.. Really great show. After that I bought her latest cd, "Move" which I though was a 5-star record. Great interplay and great songs. My latest Hiromi purchase was "Voice", also a great record, maybe not as good as "Move" but absolutly a 4 or perhaps a 4,5 star reckord. Buy it if you like keyboard jazz with a touch of rock but in my opinion still really good jazz.

Recently (Feb 2012) managed to catch a performance by Hiromi's trio in Europe in which they performed much of this material. The concert featured Anthony Jackson on bass (as on CD) plus Steve Smith on drums. The concert was simply wonderful. My review cannot capture just how good Hiromi is live but you can at least get a flavour from this CD. Certainly the best and most enjoyable piano trio that I have seen since the much-lamented EST (and that includes some good ones such as John Law's and Zoe Rahman's). The fact that Hiromi can get sidemen such as Jackson and Smith to play with her indicates the esteem in which she is held by her fellow musicians. Ignore ths sour-grapes merchants - this is not technique for technique's sake and neither is Hiromi's clearly evident on-stage emotional involvement in her music synthetic. Utterly sublime - just wish she would hurry up and come back to the UK - preferably bringing Akiko Yano with her.