(Verve 2010)..Although Onishi has been performing in solo or piano-trio formats, she is given the opportunity to flesh out her arrangements and press the playing of a fuller band – Herlin Riley on drums, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, James Carter on woodwinds, Wycliffe Gordon on trombone, and Reginald Veal and Rodney Whitaker on bass – that’s right, two basses. Baroque features a number of impressive Onishi composition, eclectic takes on Mingus and Monk, and a pair of surprisingly earnest chestnuts.
Onishi’s “Tutti”
opens the album, with Riley joined by Roland Guerro on conga, and the
percussion drives the tune forward into a turbulent, percussive top that gives
way to a warped solo from Carter, who wields the tenor with belligerence,
leaving Payton and Gordon to clean up behind him. Onishi’s own solo is almost in the spirit of
a chordless ensemble, as her own statement is a vigorous hammering assault on
the keyboard in which matches her percussionists’ pounding with her own. All
together, they smash the hell out of the song – quite wonderfully. Shifting moods, “The Mother’s (Where Johnny
Is),” begins in a minor mode, almost as a dirge, and then shifts to a swinging
number that offers Jordan a chance to display some real gutbucket chops. And for all the smash-and-dash dissonance of
the previous song, Onishi lays down a thoughtful, spare solo with space to
breathe.
Easily the most audacious
composition on the album is “The Threepenny Opera,” which starts off with Veal
and Whitaker going back and forth on bass for a couple of minutes until they reconcile
their differences and settle into the bottom end of things. Making the most of a full 17 minutes, this
Onishi composition moves from section to section, some amusingly dissonant and
disjointed, others a bit too slick, and all in keeping with the twisted humor
of the Brecht/Weil musical. In its loose
playing and movement from theme to theme, it resembles nothing less than one of
Charles Mingus’ extended works, but the solo piano section is like nothing
Mingus ever did. Onishi’s hands are
fast, but her musical imagination is faster, and, in the liner notes, she is
quick to credit Jaki Byard for some of the ideas in that passage.
The Mingus influence is articulated
clearly on the ensemble’s take “Meditations for a Pair of Wire Cutters” by the
Angry Man of Jazz, which doesn’t take too many chances and is all the more
refreshing to hear. Onishi’s solo is
full of the uncompromising humor Mingus might have appreciated. The Anderson-Grouya ballad “Flamingo” offers
everyone a chance to be lovely and lyrical together, and each solo is full and dreamy. No complaints here. “The
Street Beat/52nd Street Theme” is another tune that satisfies a
certain playing-test that some tunes seem to offer here, as it’s Onishi’s take
on the familiar chord progressions from “I Got Rhythm,” which underlie so many
other standards. Check another one off
the list. Test passed.
Onishi’s
rendition of “Stardust” – featuring the pianist alone with a familiar standard –
is baroque indeed, as it seems she has chosen a well-worn tune to show what
might be considered her approach to playing: not trying out musical ideas from
bar to bar, but trying on whole musical styles.
Just when you think she’s thinking about Art Tatum, she’ on to
Thelonious Monk, and from there to Cecil Taylor. On “Stardust,” the chameleon act is more obvious,
but on “Memories of You,” the solo number which closes the album, Onishi seems
to have a more integrated approach, and hence her personality comes through in
the end. In many ways, these two songs
are my favorites on the release.
The title of
Onishi’s “return” album is likely slanted toward the ironic, as the pianist’s
talent as a player and composer is so evident, and Verve’s presentation of her
so luxuriant (Two bassists? You got it! Three horns? Say no more!), Baroque doesn’t miss any opportunity
impress, and one can’t really help but be impressed. Hopefully, the public won’t have to wait
almost another decade for Onishi’s next album.
Something a bit more reserved --
are you taking notes, Verve? – would be just fine. I suggest a piano trio format, without all the baroque commotion,
just to give everyone a little more time to list to Onishi’s undeniable musical
gifts.
Personnel
Junko Onishi, piano
Nicholas Payton, trumpet
James Carter, woodwinds
Wycliffe Gordon, trombone
Reginald Veal, bass
Rodney Whitaker, bass
Herlin Riley, drums
Roland Guerro, conga
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