Hiromi's Sonicwonder

Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 8pm

Artist Sponsor
Christopher and Lynne Ramsey

Hiromi: Piano & Keyboard

Adam O’Farrill: Trumpet
Hadrien Feraud: Bass
Gene Coye: Drums

Hiromi is a Yamaha Artist

This performance is presented without an intermission.

For over two decades as a recording artist, the jazz piano phenomenon Hiromi has transitioned seamlessly from one spellbinding project to the next. Along the way, she has earned a reputation as one of the most electrifying live performers in jazz history and a global ambassador for the genre. Her many accolades include a widely acclaimed NPR Tiny Desk Concert with over 2 million views, a performance representing her native Japan at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and a 2024 Award of the Japanese Academy for Best Music Score for the animated feature Blue Giant. She is also a Grammy Award winner for her collaboration with fusion legend Stanley Clarke. Her artistry is—borrowing a word favored by The New Yorker—“dazzling.”

In 2023, she released Sonicwonderland, introducing what may be the most expressive, dynamic, and versatile band of her career. Known as Hiromi’s Sonicwonder, the group features Hadrien Feraud on bass, Gene Coye on drums, and trumpeter Adam O’Farrill. Together, they expand on Hiromi’s signature musical alchemy—blending the spirit of classic jazz-rock fusion with classically rooted virtuosity, infectious funk, vibrant pop elements, and, through O’Farrill’s trumpet, the cutting edge of acoustic jazz.

The album also did a remarkable job of capturing Hiromi’s mastery as a live entertainer. As The Guardian noted, “Sonicwonderland is perhaps the closest thing to Hiromi’s onstage exuberance.”

But that was only the beginning.

Over the past two years, Sonicwonder has continued to tour and collaborate regularly, deepening their chemistry and bold, intuitive interplay. The results shine on Hiromi’s new Concord release and 13th full-length studio album, OUT THERE, where the group’s powerful connection meets the pianist’s extraordinary compositional talents in perfect harmony.

As Hiromi explains, “On Sonicwonderland, I had the concept and the songs first, and I was looking for the people who could play the music in the ideal way that I had in my mind.

“Being with this group for well over a year,” she continues, “playing a lot of shows together and understanding each other, I started to see more of their strength and what shines in them the most. So I started to write music with them in mind.”

Sonicwonder unites world-class musicians from strikingly diverse backgrounds. French-born Hadrien Feraud is a fusion virtuoso, often compared to the legendary Jaco Pastorius. Gene Coye, a Chicago native who grew up playing in church, blends technical brilliance with a deep, soulful sense of groove and rhythm. Brooklyn-raised Adam O’Farrill—part of a jazz dynasty that includes his father, Arturo, and grandfather, Chico, both Latin jazz icons—is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential trumpeters of his generation. On the album, O’Farrill explores bold new sonic textures using electronics—an element Hiromi actively encouraged him to develop and showcase.

“[Bass legend and collaborator] Anthony Jackson always told me that a first-class musician can do anything,” Hiromi says. “You don’t really have to put them in one genre or one category.” Knowing that anything she composed would be met with outstanding performances, Hiromi let her fiercest ambitions run wild when crafting the music for OUT THERE. “It all comes from curiosity,” she explains. “I think curiosity is the key to everything. How can you express yourself more? How can you write more?”

The core of OUT THERE is its four-part title suite, which Hiromi would like fans to hear as a focused front-to-back listen. “I know that these days streaming gives you one song at a time,” she says, “but I hope they listen to it straight through, giving them a whole new experience.” The suite is nothing less than a tour de force, and certainly deserves undivided attention.

It opens with the rapid-fire melody of “Takin’ Off,” shared nimbly on the frontline between Hiromi and O’Farrill, and traverses the sly ’70s fusion grooves of “Strollin’,” which calls to mind Herbie Hancock, George Duke and Grover Washington Jr. “Orion” follows, with bold and triumphant bookends that could score a great work of science fiction. Hiromi wrote it as a kind of “answer song” to “Polaris,” included on Sonicwonderland. Both compositions reflect the fact that “stars are a guide,” she says. “You know where you are if you look up at the sky. You can go toward an adventure; there’s nothing to be scared of.” The suite closes with “The Quest,” which unites the chopped-up rhythmic thrust of current jazz with the synth pleasures of vintage prog-rock.

Hiromi crafted the suite, chock-full of thrilling twists and turns, as a celebration of our post-pandemic moment, when we can once again live with a sense of exploration.

“Now is the time to go out there and find something new,” she implores. And that sense of excitement isn’t exclusive to the suite; rather, it defines OUT THERE in its entirety.

The album opens with “XYZ,” the very first track Hiromi released as a recording artist back in 2003. A high-octane burner, it takes on a fresh dimension with O’Farrill’s trumpet, evoking the adventurous spirit of avant-garde Blue Note records from the 1960s. “That song has always been very special to me and to fans,” Hiromi says, describing it as a “signature Hiromi song.”

Another standout is “Yes! Ramen!!” — a wild, genre-blending tribute to Hiromi’s all-time favorite food. The track bursts with infectious synth hooks, ska-inflected rhythms, turbo-charged disco beats, a thunderous Black Sabbath-style riff, cutting-edge jazz improvisation, elements of contemporary classical music, and more. “Whew,” indeed. The band shares her passion for ramen — especially O’Farrill and Coye — and they make a point to visit as many ramen spots as possible while on tour. “For this song, it felt like scoring the film I imagined in my head,” Hiromi explains. “As the scenery changes, so does the music — a new restaurant, a new style.”

Hiromi’s “Pendulum” appears in two versions on the album, including a vocal rendition featuring Michelle Willis, best known for her work with Becca Stevens and the late David Crosby. A longtime admirer of Willis’ artistry, Hiromi describes her as “a beautiful voice and a deeply talented musician.”

The track’s arrangement blends ballad and midtempo jazz with the smooth allure of neo-soul, creating a rich, emotive atmosphere. The original lyrics—co-written by Willis and Hiromi—reflect on the ebb and flow of life. “It’s about how life comes and goes,” Hiromi explains. “Life moves like a wave, or like a pendulum. You just have to go with it.”

Later in the album, Hiromi presents a beautiful, contemplative solo piano version of “Pendulum,” a piece she’s been performing live for the past few years. “What I enjoy most about playing solo piano is exploring the softest dynamics I can achieve,” she explains. She relishes the quiet intimacy of these moments, allowing the subtle nuances of her instrument to shine. It also gives the audience a chance to breathe—a moment of calm after the high-energy fireworks of the full band.

The finale of Hiromi’s new album is also OUT THERE’s most delightful track: “Balloon Pop,” which is as much of an earworm as anything currently on the Hot 100. (And with O’Farrill on trumpet, its hummable theme summons up Miles Davis’ hook-filled ’80s recordings.)

And therein lies the secret to Hiromi’s monumental success — her rare ability to deliver not only show-stopping virtuosity but also sheer joy. “I love playing ‘Balloon Pop,” she says. “Every audience goes home singing this lick — well after the show has finished. The chord changes are challenging, but still it doesn’t sound complicated. I just wanted to write some songs that are singable, danceable and fun.”

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