Akira Ishii Trio “Synchronicity”

“Synchronicity”

(Ewe Records) 2003

Akira Ishii—piano

Masayuki Tawarayama—bass

Yoshihito Etoh—drums

Following up last year’s “Voices In the Night,” Akira Ishii’s new piano trio recording is equally thoughtful, delicate and entrancing. Working squarely within the piano trio tradition, Ishii dispenses with the kind of frills and extras that record companies often try to get their pianists to heap on for marketing purposes, and instead, gets right to work. Confident, strong and direct, Ishii’s trio connects.

Ishii varies his approaches even while keeping the overall sound consistent from one cut to the next by the close interaction between the three. Ivan Lins’ “Saindo de Mim” is given a vaguely Brazilian inflection with soft touches and elegant voicings. With Tawarayama’s deep-toned bass and Etoh’s brushwork, Ishii makes the piano really speak. On “I’m All Smiles” he does the same but with entirely different effect. On this tune, the tension between notes becomes the focus. Ishii holds, handles and caresses notes, releasing them at just the right moment for maximum effect. Etoh’s original, “The Rainy Day” moves in a slow and stately manner. The mood is not predictably sad or wistful but feels determined and willful. All three of these tunes stand out for their carefully placed nuances.

Other tunes, though, move out with greater energy. “Synchronized Step” leaps out with a potent left hand line that is accented by right hand chords. It’s a workout. His left hand keeps solid movement with its rhythmic power and gives room for Etoh and Tawarayama to improvise inside. Ishii also lays down a percussive solo that never gets out of step. “Walk By My Own” though slow and pretty has a calm, assured energy. Working with a single note melody line over delicate chording, he creates a fully textured piece. Etoh answers the melody with a deep bass solo that hangs notes and slides wonderfully amid the harmonies.

On this release, Ishii’s playing has expanded in all directions. His accents, dynamics and technique have a rounded maturity this time out, alongside his excellent phrasing and improvisational ideas. There are a few slow moments here. The tempo drops too far at times, perhaps in the search for greater depth. But those moments are few. It’s clear why Ishii was chosen to represent Japan in the upcoming Synergy Festival of international piano trios. His playing has reached a new level of sophistication.