Dairiki Hara Group

Caught live at Sometime April 10

Dairiki Hara—drums
Joh Yamada—sax
Yuki Arimasa—piano
Gen Uemura—bass

Dairiki Hara’s quartet isn’t out to prove anything. They don’t need to. They have the calm confidence of the experienced. Under Hara’s laid-back leadership, all four leave their egos behind and enjoy making music. That’s perfect for creating a genuine club atmosphere. Many bands’ energy, sense and skill get lost in the pressure to create a concert-like performance. Clubs are a different atmosphere: unfinished, inner explorations rather than slick, outward productions. Hara and company know the difference and use that understanding as an asset. Hara leads by example. He clearly enjoys the music and sets out a comfortable space for the quartet to work in. How many drummers actually laugh? Few, and none when playing as complicated rhythms as Hara does. These four are old friends, and their musical intimacy shows. Digging into Ornette Coleman’s “Round Trip,” for example, they give each other all the support they need to take their own side-trips. Their flexibility turned the tune into a round, round, round trip! And their constant flow of ideas could have added a few more rounds. Whether on a Thelonius Monk or a Gershwin piece, they switch the rhythms, chords and melodies just enough to freshen it up while still keeping plenty of forward momentum. Yamada is excellent on sax. His tone is lovely, staying clear and crisp even in the middle of a long solo. Arimasa’s piano playing moves from density to flowing lines with equal facility. Uemura on bass adds the center of gravity which frees Hara up to work the cymbals and snare  in deft, unusual patterns. With that freedom, he never overplays, but works in short, neat patterns that gives grit to the others’ playing. All four players then help make the songs come alive through each other, rather than smothering the songs with their latest flashy tricks. That may be what the club feeling is all about, using the chance to interact naturally without showing off. Of course, not every group can do that, but Hara’s group definitely can.