Mamiko Watanabe: Being Guided By The Light
JoJo Records

Drummer Billy Hart calls pianist Mamiko Watanabe “one of the very best I've ever had the pleasure of playing with”—high praise from a living treasure who's played alongside Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and others. Hearing her perform in the company of Hart and bassist Santi Debriano is but one of many pleasures her fifth album affords. Being Guided By The Light is a smartly and thoughtfully curated affair that couples two Watanabe originals and one by Debriano with tunes by Tadd Dameron, John Hicks, McCoy Tyner, Henry Clay Work, and Jimmy Rowles. The material provides the trio with a terrific springboard for interplay and extemporization, and one comes way from the release with a strong appreciation for Watanabe's abilities as a pianist and trio leader.

Much has happened to the Fukuoka, Japan-born Watanabe since she received a scholarship in 1999 to attend the Berklee College of Music. Awards followed, as did opportunities to play with Joe Lovano and Bobby McFerrin while she was still in college. After moving to New York, she performed at Blue Note, The Kennedy Center, and other venues, in addition to appearing at jazz festivals around the world. Her debut album One After Another surfaced in 2005 and three others followed, including 2018's Flying Without Wings, before the release of her latest.

At album's start, the title track's distinguished by her resonant, harmonious voicings and the responsive contributions of her partners. Hart and Debriano show themselves to be attentive to her every gesture, the result an absorbing conversational display and demonstration of high-level interaction. A commanding solo by the bassist shows he's a fine match for her in that department, and later turns by Hart prove the fire still burns in his playing too. The mood turns expansive for Hicks' radiant “Pas De Trois,” which sees the leader's chords buoyed by the smooth support of her colleagues. Following an assertive intro, the trio pursues a more romantic route that sees the journey warmed by a soulfully swinging pulse and a general sense of uplift. Certainly one of the album's high points is the trio's reading of Rowles' haunting ballad “The Peacocks,” a modern jazz classic if there ever was one. The three play it straight, content to let its lyrical melodies speak without unnecessary encumbrance, and hew to its angular path with care. Delivered slowly, the performance is a beautiful illustration of the level of artistry jazz can achieve when musicians of seasoned and advanced calibre are involved.

Dameron's “The Scene is Clean” is elevated with an effervescent treatment that swings royally. Hart's in his element, but the other two are with him every step of the way, Debriano driving the pulse and Watanabe joyously riding the groove with chords and runs. The bassist's “Nigeria” likewise swings with serious intent and invites enthusiastic engagement from all involved. Inhabiting a more abstract space is Watanabe's “Atomic Space,” a high-wire, multi-scenic adventure anchored by a recurring three-note ostinato. The trio's delicate side is highlighted during the folk-like intro to Work's “My Grandfather's Clock” before the three adopt a modal-styled attack. Capping the release on a joyful note, Tyner's “Island Birdie” take us out with infectious Caribbean grooves.

March 2024