河村英樹 on Jazz of Japan | Brian McCrory

Hideaki Hori: Horizon

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Jazz pianist Hideaki Hori kicked off his recording career 20 years ago, and it all started with this debut album Horizon from 2003. Since then, he’s released another 20 albums as leader in his nearly 30-year career under his own name or as the group “Encounter” with saxophonist Wataru Hamasaki. As a session musician and recording partner, Hori has also played on more than 160 albums for many notable Japanese and international acts including “Dreams Come True”, “Paris Match”, Eddie Henderson, Mabumi Yamaguchi, and many others. It’s an impressive resume for an accomplished pianist who’s still actively playing live music somewhere in front of an audience almost every day.

Yuichiro Aratake: The Light Flows In

Thu, 09 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Yuichiro Aratake’s The Light Flows In is a solo piano collection which sets a calm, relaxing mood, offering peace through original songs and charming jazz and pop standards. With patience and sincerity, Aratake performs the pieces as slow ballads, reflecting the gratitude for loyalty, friendship, and support that inspired the performances.

This album features a special Bösendorfer Imperial Concert Grand piano, the deep and full tones echoing beautifully as the pianist moves freely through his selection of originals and familiar covers (“I Loves You, Porgy”, “Round About Midnight”, “What The World Needs Now”, “Blackbird”).