Diane and I attended the Keiko Matsui concert at Buffalo State College (Diane’s Alma Mater). Keiko Matsui gets featured on Sirius/XM’s WATERCOLORS Smooth Jazz channel frequently. I have a couple of Keiko’s CDs. A minion outside the performance hall was selling Keiko’s new CD, ECHO, so I bought it. Keiko told the audience during the performance that ECHO is her 28th album!
If you like jazz piano, you’ll enjoy Keiko Matsui’s music. It’s light and energetic and fun. Keiko played my favorite Keiko song, “Forever, Forever.” Also, Keiko showcased several songs from ECHO and generously agreed to sign CDs after the show and take selfies with her adoring fans. All in all, the Keiko Matsui concert brought wonderful music and a talented player to Buffalo. Are you a fan of Smooth Jazz? GRADE: A (for both the concert and the CD)
SET LIST:
Bridge Over the Stars
Casablanca
Forever, Forever
Moving On
Echo
Marlin Club Blues
Moon Over Gotham
Return to Eternity
Safari
Spirit Dance
Unshakable
Viva Life
TRACK LIST:
1 –Keiko Matsui Unshakable
Alto Saxophone – Brandon Fields
Bass – Jimmy Johnson (5)
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.
Keyboards, Programmed By [Programming] – Randy Waldman
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano – Keiko Matsui
Trombone – Nick Lane
Trumpet – Walt Fowler
3:36
2 –Keiko Matsui Moon Over Gotham
Alto Saxophone – Brandon Fields
Bass – Vinnie Colaiuta
Drums – Jimmy Johnson (5)
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.
Keyboards – Randy Waldman
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano – Keiko Matsui
Trombone – Nick Lane
Trumpet, Soloist, Flugelhorn [Flugelhorn Solo] – Wayne Bergeron
4:14
3 –Keiko Matsui Featuring Marcus Miller Echo
Bass – Jimmy Johnson (5), Marcus Miller
Drums – Jimmy Branly
Keyboards – Randy Waldman
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano – Keiko Matsui
Soloist, Acoustic Guitar [Acoustic Guitar Solo] – Ramon Stagnaro
4:15
4 –Keiko Matsui Featuring Kirk Whalum Espirit
Alto Saxophone – Brandon Fields
Bass – Jimmy Johnson (5)
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Tim Pierce
Keyboards – Randy Waldman
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano – Keiko Matsui
Tenor Saxophone – Kirk Whalum
Trombone – Nick Lane
Trumpet – Walt Fowler
5:53
5 –Keiko Matsui Featuring Robben Ford Marlin Club Blues
Alto Saxophone – Brandon Fields
Bass – Jimmy Johnson (5)
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Paul Jackson Jr.
Keyboards, Electric Organ [Hammond B-3] – Randy Waldman
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano – Keiko Matsui
Soloist, Electric Guitar [Electric Guitar Solo] – Robben Ford
Trombone – Nick Lane
Trumpet – Walt Fowler, Wayne Bergeron
3:51
6 –Keiko Matsui Invisible Rain
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Brandon Fields
Bass – Jimmy Johnson (5)
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Tim Pierce
Keyboards – Randy Waldman
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano, Vocals – Keiko Matsui
Trombone – Nick Lane
Trumpet – Walt Fowler
Vocals – Bud Harner
4:17
7 –Keiko Matsui Featuring Gretchen Parlato Spirit Dance
Acoustic Guitar – JP Mourao*
Bass – Rico Belled
Drums – Jimmy Branly
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano, Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Keiko Matsui
Vocals – Gretchen Parlato
4:57
8 –Keiko Matsui Now Is The Moment
Alto Saxophone – Brandon Fields
Bass – Jimmy Johnson (5)
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar – Tim Pierce
Keyboards – Randy Waldman
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano – Keiko Matsui
Trombone – Nick Lane
Trumpet – Walt Fowler, Wayne Bergeron
3:11
9 –Keiko Matsui Viva Life
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Handclaps – JP Mourao*
Alto Saxophone – Brandon Fields
Bass, Handclaps – Rico Belled
Drums, Handclaps – Jimmy Branly
Handclaps – Bud Harner
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Handclaps – Keiko Matsui
Trombone – Nick Lane
Trumpet – Walt Fowler, Wayne Bergeron
4:21
10 –Keiko Matsui Featuring Kyle Eastwood Return To Eternity
Acoustic Bass – Kyle Eastwood
Acoustic Guitar – Ramon Stagnaro
Bass – Jimmy Johnson (5)
Drums – Jimmy Branly
Keyboards – Randy Waldman
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano – Keiko Matsui
5:08
I like smooth jazz (I have the Watercolors channel as a preset on the Sirius/XM in my car), but I think of it as “background music.” I find it soothing, but I rarely remember specific songs or artists.
Deb, same here. But Keiko Matsui’s music stood out among the rest of WATERCOLORS for me.
Never listen to it much, but what Deb said.
Jeff, I only listen to WATERCOLORS when I’m driving around running errands. Tell Jackie I’m about to fire Big Orange up and snowblow the 7 inches of snow on my driveway.
Not a fan of smooth jazz. I find it boring as all hell. A friend of mine who is a jazz fan calls smooth jazz wallpaper.
Steve, sonic wallpaper pretty much covers it. But some find Smooth Jazz soothing.
I will have to try her on Alexa.
Patti, ask Alexa to play Keiko Matsui’s “Forever, Forever.”
I’m about 50/50 on smooth jazz, much as I am on fusion, without being the kind of Hard Bop and post HB is the Only Jazz sort of clown that some prominent people are. Matsui is often one of the more interesting smooth stars.
The Kenny Gs of the world I will leave to the elevator music fans but the likes of Tom Scott and George Benson, to cite some of the founders of the form, did some good work, and others have followed.
Todd, I agree with you on Tom Scott and George Benson. I’ll be reviewing some of their Smooth Jazz offerings in 2020.
I’ve heard plenty of it, but I’m one of the “clowns” Todd refers to, I guess. It’s Hard Bop for me, not smooth jazz pablum.
Rick, Santa might bring you some Hard Bop…
To be one the clowns I refer to, you have to spurn all third stream music, all “cool” jazz (making exceptions for Miles Davis’s contributions there, usually grudgingly), all free jazz,, all fusion and smooth jazz and jazz-pop (such as Nina Simone’s and Sade Adu’s) and jazz-flavored musics (from ska to bossa nova through acid jazz and on to newer modes) since the modal post-hard bop arrived ca. 1955-60. You’d basically have to share, say, Stanley Crouch’s taste in jazz…with all its limits.
I don’t think this quite describes your tastes, Rick, given some of the stuff we’ve both praised in the past.
Todd, I do not share Stanley Crouch’s taste in jazz.
Never even heard about her, but will give it a try (maybe). My wife and I are absolute Blues&Rock fans – and we have so many CDs …
Wolf, my wife gives me The Eye when she catches me smuggling in more music CDs. Like you, I have hundreds of CDs waiting for listening.
Wolf, you would have loved the Boz Scaggs concert we saw Sunday night. Very blues oriented.
Jeff, I listened to Boz Scaggs’ Greatest Hits Live . Great fun!
You can have that mathematician’s music! I’ll take the Oldies!
Bob, I’ll have some Oldies for you in 2020.