Out There

夢の国を飛び出して、まだ見たことない世界へ。しなやかに、カラフルに、Sonicwonder の冒険はつづく。
音楽監督を務めたアニメ映画『BLUE GIANT』では、第47回日本アカデミー賞「最優秀音楽賞」を受賞した世界を駆けるピアニスト、上原ひろみがアドリアン・フェロー(b)～ジーン・コイ(ds)～アダム・オファリル(tp)という気鋭のミュージシャンと組んだバンド、Sonicwonderの2作目。

2023年5月から世界中をツアーし、エレクトリック色の強いダイナミックな演奏で各地で熱烈な反応を得てきた。前作『Sonicwonderland』以来1年半ぶりとなる2作目は、2003年の上原ひろみ衝撃のデビュー作『アナザー・マインド』の冒頭を飾った「XYZ」のSonicwonderヴァージョンで幕を開け、以降は多彩な新曲がラインナップ。長年のラーメン愛を曲にした「Yes!Ramen!!」、4曲からなる組曲「OUT THERE」、タイトル通りPOPな「Balloon Pop」、また「Pendulum」はシンガー・ソングライターのミシェル・ウィリスをフィーチャーしたヴォーカル入りとピアノ・ソロの2ヴァージョンを収録。
世界ツアーを経てバンドの化学反応がさらなる高みに達したことを証明する、しなやかで弾けるようなサウンド。

In 2023, pianist and composer Hiromi Uehara released the groove-laden Sonicwonderland, employing a new band to record it: French bassist Hadrien Feraud, trumpeter Adam OFarrill, and drummer Gene Coye. Hiromis Sonicwonder. The album credited to Hiromis Sonicwonder was lauded in the global jazz and pop press; tours and concert performances sold out. They developed a musical character and language unique to anything shed done before. Out There offers eight compositions, including the four-part title track; the album is an extension and expansion of the music found on Sonicwonder. The set opens with "XYZ," a startlingly dense new version of the first track on Another Mind, her 2007 debut album. The original was a piano trio version and showcased her compositional potential. This version is an ensemble affair. Introduced by Coyes syncopated snare breaks, OFarrills trumpet rides up front with the pianist while Feraud frenetically bridges communication between his bandmates while moving the tune forward. The trumpet and piano solos are dynamic. "Yes! Ramen!" melds a galloping synth sounding like a dead cross between a shamisen and a banjo over driving ska horns, a liquidy fusion bassline, and clattering, yet somehow precise disco-style percussion. "Pendulum" is a spectral, neo-soul-cum-jazz ballad in duet form. Guest Michelle Willis wrote the lyrics with Hiromi; her, lithe, sultry alto phrasing delivers resonant emotion atop Hiromis softly expressive piano. There is also an instrumental version of the tune that the pianist has made part of her live set. Half the album is comprised of the four-part, 30-minute title suite. "Takin Off" is a jaunty contemporary fusion tune wherein Hiromis piano guides the changes while her synths, alongside OFarrills horn, play in unison or counterpoint, then execute and extrapolate on a kinetic melody over the first half as Coye double times, syncopates, and breaks without cessation. Feraud spends the first half prodding the frontline forward before he and Hiromi trade contrapuntal fours in the bridge before everyone ushers in a third phase over a bass solo. "Strollin" combines swinging contemporary jazz with elegant, harmonic interplay between Hiromi, Feraud, and OFarrill. "Orion" commences sparingly; piano and electric bass speak to one another in staccato phrases before the composition changes shape to showcase the trumpeter, with delicious composing from the pianist. On this track, Coye excels at retaining the tension between timekeeping and rhythmic invention. "The Quest" anthemically combines prog rock, contemporary jazz, post-bop, classical motifs, and gospel over its eight-minute length. Closer "Balloon Pop" stands outside the suite. A deceptively simple rhythm introduced by Feraud and Coye, Hiromis staccato piano vamp introduces the playful theme (the bassists funky yet frenetic playing adds to this). Energy emerges via developing interactions and host modulations adding depth and tension. The ensemble responds in the second half with conversational phrases that underscore the bands cohesion in consensus. Out There, brilliant in its own right, perfectly illumines its predecessor while offering astonishing musical growth as Hiromis bandmates develop a canny familiarity and comfort with one another in performance. ~ Thom Jurek