Chie Imaizumi - Unfailing Kindness

Styles: Post Bop, Big Band
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:06
Size: 129,4 MB
Art: Front

( 9:05)  1. A Change for the Better
( 5:50)  2. The More the Merrier
( 9:47)  3. Unfailing Kindness
( 6:30)  4. Lonley...
( 7:56)  5. Round and Round
(10:40)  6. Adversity
( 6:16)  7. Another Day

To all but the most jaded of cynics, Chie Imaizumi's Unfailing Kindness is sure to provide many hours of comfort for the soul as this extremely accessible and yet deeply rewarding music washes away all that might ail it. Imaizumi is letting us see her up close and personal as each tune translates her emotional being at various times in her recent life into music. The fact that this music is for large forces (ten players most of the time) makes it all the more remarkable, since it is light and limber with intricate arrangements that do not, however, sound congested or overburdened. There is much room for soloing, and when they get the chance to fly, the soloists make the most of it. The feeling that leads to the solo is one, though, of the underlying music pushing the performer out front, or lifting them above the others, rather than someone just stepping out and wailing. Imaizumi received her original musical training on the electric organ before she switched to piano, winning awards and beginning to record in Japan. The fact that she does not play on this record might seem strange but it is, in reality, part of the emotional roller coaster that the music represents. Among other issues in her life at the time, Imaizumi was afflicted with tenosynovitis, a painful repetitive stress injury, which forced her to stop playing. Anyone who has been through this kind of thing, especially a musician, knows how devastating not being able to function can be. However, Imaizumi turned adversity into opportunity. Indeed, the sixth and longest track is named "Adversity" and is the most interesting musically as it moves through many different moods and emotions. Turning her talents away from the playing and toward composing and arranging, she now builds worlds of sound with the help of other musicians. 

The album starts off with a bang with three very up tunes "A Change for the Better," with its Caribbean rhythms, "The More the Merrier," which kicks back with a New Orleans backbeat, and "Unfailing Kindness," with its meter switching between 5/4 and 4/4. Things take a needed rest with "Lonely," in which Imaizumi remembers how a three month tour felt, but rebounds with the driving changes tune "Round and Round," before getting to the aforementioned "Adversity." 

There are many subtleties in constant change throughout each tune, and an attentive listener will be rewarded many times over. The word is that actually attending an Imaizumi performance and watching her conduct her music is something else altogether. Many jazz fans find music to be highly emotional, and Imaizumi's music exudes both optimism and overcoming difficult times, but mostly the joy of creating and being able to share it. Highly recommended. ~ Budd Kopman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/unfailing-kindness-chie-imaizumi-review-by-budd-kopman.php

Personnel: Greg Gisbert: trumpet, flugelhorn; Ron Miles: trumpet, flugelhorn; John Gunther: alto and soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet; Gary Smulyan: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Alex Heitlinger: trombone; Mike Abbott: guitar; Jeff Jenkins: piano, Hammond B3; Mark Simon: bass; Paul Romaine: drums; Manavihare

Unfailing Kindness

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Chie Imaizumi - A Time Of New Beginnings

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:54
Size: 144,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. My Heartfelt Gratitude
(7:20)  2. Information Overload
(7:23)  3. Fear Of The Unknown
(8:39)  4. A Time Of New Beginnings
(6:57)  5. Run For Your Life
(5:49)  6. Today
(7:39)  7. Sharing The Freedom
(8:38)  8. Many Happy Days Ahead
(6:18)  9. Fun & Stupid Song

Composer and arranger Chie Imaizumi's second album, A Time Of New Beginnings, is filled with star players from the jazz world. It's a beautifully crafted, beautifully played album, with a warm and familiar feel to its nine tunes that, at times, creates a real sense of nostalgia. Imaizumi began her musical career in her homeland of Japan, joined Berklee College of Music as a student in 2001 and released her first album, Unfailing Kindness (Capri Records), in 2007. A Time Of New Beginnings is a concept album; and while the narrative strand isn't obvious, this doesn't detract from the quality of the individual tunes.

The band is tremendous a hand-picked collection of great players who not only produce some terrific ensemble performances but who are also, without exception, capable of top quality solos. Randy Brecker guests on "Information Overload," producing a fine trumpet solo that fits the mood of the piece precisely. "My Hearfelt Gratitude" is the album's most overtly nostalgic tune. From pianist Tamir Hendelman's bright and delicate opening notes, the composition conjures images of characters in a cozy TV drama, driving along a sun-drenched coastal highway an episode of Columbo or Murder, She Wrote, perhaps. This sense of time and place is shared, to some extent, by the lovely "Today" and the joyous "Fun & Stupid Song." "Run for Your Life" sounds like the overture to a lighthearted Broadway musical. Guitarist Mike Abbott drives the tune along with some deft chordal play, and the horn section is a delight  trumpeters Greg Gisbert and Terell Stafford trade increasingly energetic solos and, after a powerful solo from drummer Jeff Hamilton, the horn section returns to end the tune with a rhythmic chorus that seems to demand the presence of a high-kicking dance troupe. "Sharing the Freedom" was commissioned by the US Air Force Academy's Falconaires, and performed at the 2008 Monterey Jazz Festival. 

Alto saxophonist Steve Wilson's solo is vibrant and emotive, whole bassist John Clayton's brief solo creates a funky groove, but much of the arrangement lacks bite and, at times, comes close to blandness. Clayton's arco solo on "Fear of the Unknown" is a sad but beautiful performance, matched perfectly by Hendelman. By contrast, "Fun & Stupid Song" is a lively, smile-inducing tune that mixes rhythms and tempos, featuring a great solo from Scott Robinson, who moves seamlessly from sopranino to tenor sax. A sense of familiarity and nostalgia pervades many of the tunes on A Time Of New Beginnings, but the album doesn't sound outdated or old-fashioned. Imaizumi's arrangements, and the musicians' enthusiasm and talent, ensure that the music is fresh, upbeat and, ultimately, optimistic. ~ Bruce Lindsay   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-time-of-new-beginnings-chie-imaizumi-capri-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php#.U6i7BrG4OSo
 

Personnel: Chie Imaizumi: conductor, arranger; Greg Gisbert: trumpet, flugelhorn; Terrell Stafford: trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Wilson: alto sax, tenor sax, flute; Scott Robinson: tenor sax, soprano sax, sopranino sax, clarinet, flute; Steve Davis: trombone; Gary Smulyan: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Mike Abbott: guitar; Tamir Hendelman: piano; John Clayton: bass; Jeff Hamilton: drums; Randy Brecker: trumpet (2); Paul Romaine: drums (2, 7, 9).

A Time Of New Beginnings

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