Art Hirahara’s new debut CD Noble Path is full of well crafted stories told in a contemporary style that borrows more from the mainstream than the modern – but don’t let that fool you – this is an exciting new trio with depth and width in their vision and execution. Hirahara builds tension and excitement with two hands, the left locking into full fingered voicings and the right exploring multiple runs and percussive accents that never seem to lack imagination, surprise or momentum. The opening Hirahara original, the easy going I’m OK, could have come from the pen of Tadd Dameron and indeed there are four underplayed standards here rendered with great maturity and ease of expression beyond his years, Con Alma, Ellington’s beautiful Isfahan, All or Nothing At All and Porter’s Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye. But it is the Hirahara originals that intrigue the most with an unpredictable turn of harmony and a gradual layering of harmonic and melodic intensity – those story telling hands have a lot to say.

Yoshi Waki on bass and Dan Aran on drums are Hirahara’s equals and for the trio’s next release I want to hear many more solos especially from Waki who, with Aran, is top flight. Listen carefully and you can here how he converses but occasionally I’d like to hear him make a speech! On the brilliantly constructed Noble Path his playing is superb.

It sounds like this grouping has played often and after a while when you disengage your ears directly from the three music elements and focus on the shared musical thrust you feel the ebb and flow (one of Art’s best originals in this collection is calledEbb and Flow) of a music that although erring on the mainstream is played by three souls who have mastered the craft of musical communication both within their trio and with the listener. From the excellent Posi-Tone label – highly recommend.

Paul Zetter/Trioriot