Managed to squeeze in two fairly diverse concert performances this month: Rush and Hiromi. Rush, of course, is the world renowned PROG powerhouse that have captivated their loyal fans for over 30 years. But make no mistake, these boys truly get better with time. I’ve had the privilege of seeing them perform on numerous occasions, but the LA show at the Nokia Theatre was a standout! The Nokia is relatively new concert hall certainly more famous for hosting American Idol than Rush and provides world class acoustics.
Click to Expand/Collapse Rush at the Nokia…
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Rush definitely had their tone dialed in that evening and the encore performances of “Passage to Bangkok” and “YYZ” were remarkable! Rush has also raised the bar on their stage show over the years. The lighting now plays a more significant role, and they use some of the coolest effects available. It’s about as close to a Pink Floyd performance as I reckon you’ll find these days! Rush also released a live album directly from this (Snakes & Arrows) tour, so I’d encourage any curious or loyal fan to get it; I’m not sure that their newer material has grown on me just yet, but with 30+ years of killer repertoire to draw from and packaged into 3hrs of live performance, you really can’t go wrong! |
Click here to Expand/Collapse Hiromi at Ronnie Scott’s…
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And speaking of virtuosos, had the good fortune of seeing Hiromi live at Ronnie Scott’s in London! Simply put, she is regarded by many as the best female jazz pianist currently gracing the planet! In my view, she’s already in the Top 5 worldwide, easily in the league of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Ahmad Jamal, and Herbie Hancock, and at age 26 her future is unimaginably bright. For that matter, Chick and Ahmad were instrumental in getting her onto the world stage… so you don’t take my word for it, ask them! Equally remarkable are her accompanying musicians – each prodigal in their own right. Tony Grey (bass) and Martin Slovakian (drums); amazing and I’d encourage you to check out their music independently! Since Time Control (released 2007), she’s evolved into a quartet format, and is now joined by renowned jazz-rock guitarist David “Fuze” Fiuczynski. I took in 2 of the 3 shows at Ronnie Scott’s and what a fantastic intimate venue! Hiromi and the band graciously spent time with the audience afterwards, and their humility and appreciation is refreshingly sincere. Hiromi will be touring in the US this summer, and I would strongly encourage everyone to check her out. The Highlight? Her encore performance on the final night was a beyond-description solo piano improv of (George) Gershwin’s “I’ve Got Rhythm”. Apparently, her forthcoming album, aptly titled Beyond Standard, will feature many such interpretations – from Jeff Beck to Hendrix to Gershwin? Wow… |
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January 15th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Hello webmaster been surfing the net for jazz guitarist and found your blog reg d Hiromi – Opposite Worlds – Common Virtuosity | Adrian Sakashita’s Music. You relly know your stuff! I\’d like to see more posts here. Will definitely bookmark this one and come back.
January 16th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Hello Egor! Thank you for the kind words and taking the time to post the feedback! I’m going to make a push this year to write more content, especially now that the audience base is beginning to grow beyond just friends and family… this whole thing really started out as an experiment for me, but it’s proven to be a great way to share and connect with like minded musicians such as yourself! All the best, Adrian