Yutaka Shiina Trio with Harvey Thompson

Yutaka Shiina Trio with Harvey Thompson
Strings
September 4, 2004

Yutaka Shiina (piano)
Harvey Thompson (vocals)
Teiji Sasaki (bass)
Junji Hirose (drums)

Pairing up this hard-swinging trio with this hard-swinging vocalist was a stroke of genius. These two "units" got along like a house on fire. Strings was packed; you could barely turn around to wave for a drink. The trio with Thompson kept them too entranced to order much, though, and they stayed focused on the music.

Even though much of Thompson's skill lies in the nuanced interpretation of the lyric's meaning, the crowd clearly knew where he was coming from. Shiina's trio has played together for many years, and they have a strong feeling for each other's directions.
Hirose on drums keeps a tight, neat patter that flows like wine, while Sasaki's solos were focused and lyrical. Shiina, as always, brought sheer vitality. Thompson has a warm, luminous voice that fit the trio's drive perfectly. With great choices of songs, the first set never let up.

Horace Silver's "The Show Has Just Begun," a weighty bop number, kicked things into gear. "Lush Life," was stunning, with Shiina's solo working the lush harmonies into dense patterns. "Waltz for Debby" worked both as a vocal number and as a vehicle for the trio. This sense of balance made more than one song doubly complex. "Just One of Those Things" rollicked wildly before slowing down with "Close Your Eyes," a tune that brought to mind vividly all the love affairs in life.

Horace Silver's "Red Beans and Rice," about Louis Armstrong's love of eating, was the perfect closer, and worth the price of the set alone. Like Armstrong, Thompson is an entertainer. e knows how to work an audience, but that's just a cover for the art wrapped neatly inside.    

On several numbers, he imitated the trombone on vocals with incredible accuracy. The crowd was in hysterics and even Sasaki on bass got to laughing.

By the end of each set, the trio, like the audience, was enjoying every tune, everyone smiling together, audience and band. That kind of intimacy is a lot more rare than it should be. Everyone got lengthy solos, interspersed with great scatting from Thompson. This tight a connection between trio and singer should not go unrecorded. Sadly, Thompson makes his base in Kansai, and Shiina's trio stays busy on their own. Hopefully, they will work their magic together again soon.