Art Hirahara / Noble Path

Turn over a new leaf and tune in to the tasteful stylings of pianist Art Hirahara as he travels down along the "Noble Path” on this 2011 album, his first on Posi-Tone. Employing a wide palette of styles and sounds, Hirahara quickly establishes himself as a gifted instrumentalist and makes a bold statement of purpose with both his stunning musicianship and his collection of original compositions. Hirahara definitely shines brightly throughout, but he also clearly benefits from the capable contributions of bassist Yoshi Waki and drummer Dan Aran in their supporting roles on this piano trio date. While the session is definitely straight-ahead and features some hard-swinging highlights, the music is also elegantly lyrical and brilliantly evocative, with modern jazz sensibility. With all of the wonder that is here to discover, serious jazz fans and casual listeners will find that Art Hirahara's "Noble Path" is a journey worth taking and contains something for everyone to enjoy.