CELLAR MUSIC (Released October 2024)
Except for her 2021 Stairway to the Stars release, many of Miki Yamanaka’s recordings have focused almost exclusively on her own compositions. Chance finds her with bassist Tyrone Allen and drummer Jimmy McBride (her current working trio) exploring tunes from a diverse range of composers. The set kicks off with George Cables’ “Dark Side, Light Side,” a tune that shifts from a modal to a soulful feel with outstanding solos from both Yamanaka and Allen. They play with timing on Monk’s “Trinkle Tinkle,” starting at the standard Monk pace and then shifting to a swing beat and increasing the speed before returning to the familiar pace of Monk’s angular theme. Harry Warren’s “I Wish I Knew” gets an up-tempo Latin feel. MacBride drives Yamanaka’s fleet and expressive touch on Bobby Hutcherson’s “Herzog.” That touch turns bluesier on Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz.” No matter what the trio tackles — the bebop of Charlie Parker’s “Cheryl,” the groove of Geri Allen’s “Unconditional Love,” the tender balladry of Johnny Green’s “Body and Soul” or Kenny Kirkland’s spry waltz “Chance — they do it with superb timing, phrasing and creativity. Perhaps they were spurred on by the setting of the historic Rudy Van Gelder Studio in which they recorded this session. Or perhaps it was the composers of the various tunes that motivated them to shine. My guess is that they could do it anywhere and with any tunes — that’s the charm of the Miki Yamanaka Trio!
BOTTOM LINE: On her latest release, Pianist Miki Yamanaka and her trio explore the harmonic and rhythmic surprises of Monk, breathe new life into standards from Harry Warren and Johnny Green and dive into the music of George Cables, Fats Waller, Kenny Kirkland, Bobby Hutcherson and Charlie Parker. So, if you’re a fan of mainstream piano trios that take chances with other artist’s compositions, take a chance on Chance.
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