Telarc
2008
Beyond Standard
About This Album
After four Telarc albums dedicated to original material, keyboardist Hiromi Uehara and her talented Sonicbloom trio tackle that most treasured of jazz traditions, the standard. Only 27 when this was recorded in 2008, her song choices and execution are less orthodox than other jazz artists', hence the album's intriguing title. The pops and clicks of an old vinyl record intro the proceedings, which officially kick off with a smooth rendition of Oscar Hammerstein's "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise." While it's not unrecognizable from the original, bassist Tony Grey quickly steers into a solo that shifts the approach to improvisation and fusion-tinged waters, followed by Hiromi and guitarist David Fiuczynski trading licks. Ultimately the melody becomes obscured by the magnificent playing, as is typical of the jazz approach to interpretations. Debussy's "Clair de Lune" is handled in a more traditional swinging style that soon shifts into slightly experimental territory with a hyperactive take on the Duke Ellington chestnut "Caravan." Again Fiuczynski's nimble guitar commands attention, twisting notes, playing with time and driving the arrangement, with Hiromi's acoustic piano coming in later as the nearly nine-minute performance winds through its changes.
Track List (try tracks 2,3,4,5,6 and 7)

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