山野友佳子 on Jazz of Japan | Brian McCrory

Yukako Yamano: Imperial

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

World-traveling pianist Yukako Yamano released Imperial in 2018, a three-song mini-album showcasing not only her original songs but also the special instrument after which the album is named.

The inspiration for this album was the sound produced by a luxury piano the young pianist had the opportunity to play, a Bösendorfer 290 Imperial 1978. This type of grand piano has a bass-extended range of 97 keys over a full eight octaves, compared to 88 keys on a standard full-sized piano. The addition of extra bass strings and hardware not only offers the player deeper notes to strike but also enhances the total sound produced by all of the other keys with richer harmonic resonance — as well as increasing the overall size and weight of the imposing instrument.

Yukako Yamano: 3rd Stage

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Yukako Yamano’s 3rd Stage is the third album in her live set series, following her 1st Stage and 2nd Stage naturally and wrapping up the symbolic three-set performance established by the album titles. With ten tracks and a running time of approximately 60 minutes, 3rd Stage demonstrates Yamano’s funky, poppy, delicate, and groovy sides through mostly original songs with a few covers as well.

Differing from the first two releases, this album focuses on her work as a solo artist and showcases many of her original songs. Throughout, the music is infused with her special style of melodic and memorable jazzy pop creations. As a solo pianist, Yamano’s playing is loaded with catchy riffs and repeating patterns over which she develops improvisational explorations. At other moments, she can create lovely, somber themes with fragile atmospheres. Songs like “Mahoruba” and “Before After” range from galloping grooves to sweet and cute music, while the show-stealer “Summertime/Piano Concerto No. 2” merges Gershwin and Rachmaninov themes in an impressive medley. The final track, “Love Coke!”, is another popular crowd-pleaser and a fun tribute to her collection of variations of this addictive soft drink.

Yukako Yamano & Yukari Inoue: Dubai Suite

Sun, 30 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Pianists Yukako Yamano and Yukari Inoue make music with two pianos on this mini-album of cheerful exuberance. Dubai Suite is a five-part composition by Yukako Yamano which reflects her appreciation for the exotic locale the music is named for. She recorded this album in anticipation of a late 2021 return trip to Dubai. Based in Tokyo and with frequent travels throughout America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, Yamano has also been to Dubai twice.

Yukako Yamano: 1st Stage

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Popular pianist Yukako Yamano’s 1st Stage is a rich and airy musical soufflé. Her catchy debut album from 2013 mixes together swinging jazz, modern fusion, cute pop, and straightforward sincerity. On 1st Stage, the world-traveling pianist introduces eleven of her feel-good melodies and propulsive rhythms as she balances unpretentious cheer with dramatic tension on the lively tracks.

The listener may notice subtle Japanese pop and classical influences in the playing. With quick energy and clever movements, the music is fun, bold, and sincere. The songs vary from grooving straight-beat swing (“Over Parents”, “On A Sunny Moon”), rock-style solo piano (“Galopping Ponies”), romantic, sad ballads (“Another Step”, “Kanashimi No Mukougawa”), serious adventures (“Double A”, “City Walker”), anthemic ballad-rock (“Kanashimi No Mukougawa”), and quirky, candy-sweet fusion (“Wild Sweets”). On the whole, the album strives to involve the listener directly without overcomplicating the compositions, all while ensuring the musicians are having fun creating music together and keeping the audience hooked.