Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Yoko Miwa Trio: Keep Talkin'

Yoko Miwa Trio: Keep Talkin'

By Dan McClenaghan
June 19, 2019
View read count

Pianist

Yoko Miwa

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Yoko Miwa was born in Japan, but she has set up shop in Boston, where she teaches at Berklee College of Music. She has also—beginning in 2003 with Fadeless Flower (Polystar Records)—previously released seven CDs. The superb Keep Talkin' brings that number of recorded offerings from Miwa to eight.

The music of Keep Talkin' says that Miwa has fully embraced an American state of mind, beginning with the title tune, a Miwa original that sounds like something out of the hard-grooving Horace Silver songbook. Or add some horns and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers could come to mind. And apparent right out of the gate: Miwa and her trio play with joy. An especially spritely take on Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud" is up next, with a fierce momentum and an assured improvisational gusto from Miwa, aided and abetted by muscular and spicy rhythm from bassist

Will Slater

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Will Slater and drummer

Scott Goulding

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Scott Goulding.

The pianist is in fine form as a composer, offering up six of her own tunes, along with inspired covers of music from the previously mentioned Monk; from

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus ("Boogie Stop Shuffle"); Joni Mitchell ("Conversations"); and the Brazilian singer/composer guitarist Marcelo Camelo ("Casa Pre-Fabricada").

The album hits its highlight with the eight minute "Golden Slumbers/You Never Give Me Your Money" medley, from the Beatles songbook. The pairing of two of Paul McCartney's loveliest melodies works to perfection in this trio's hands, beginning with a stately and straight up reading on "Slumbers" that transitions into the dreamier "Money," leading into Miwa's searching and assertive improvisation, with the bass and drums cooking on high heat, pushing hard back into "Slumbers."

The set closes with Miwa's "Sunshine Follows The Rain," with

Brad Barrett

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Brad Barrett sitting in on bass, for a pensive and melancholy, yet hopeful and gorgeous close out to a marvelous piano trio outing.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Keep Talkin'; In Walked Bud; Secret Rendezvous; Sunset Lane; Boogie Stop Shuffle; Golden Slumbers/You Never Give Me Your Money; Tone Portrait; Casa Pre-Fabricada; Conversations; If You're Blue; Sunshine Follows the Rain.

Personnel

Yoko Miwa

piano

Will Slater

bass

Scott Goulding

drums

Brad Barrett

bass, acoustic

Album information

Title: Keep Talkin' | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Ocean Blue Tear Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Getz At The Gate
< Previous

Night Owl
Next >

Yoko Miwa Concerts

Oct 3 Fri

YOKO MIWA TRIO

Scullers Jazz Club
Boston, MA

Nov 1 Sat

Yoko Miwa Trio

Jazz On Main
Mt Kisco, NY

Nov 1 Sat

Yoko Miwa Trio

Jazz On Main
Mt Kisco, NY

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.