Miho Hazama- Journey to Journey(sunnyside 2013)

Music has an uncanny ability to transmit emotion unlike any other art form. Ups and downs. Failures and achievements. In this particular instance, the music on composer/arranger Miho Hazama’s new record captures the joy of completing one stage in her musical development, namely graduation from the Manhattan School of Music, and the beginning of her new journey as a professional musician.

The expressive new recording Journey to Journey (Sunnyside, Mar. 26, 2013) showcases the fantastic workmanship of this young Japanese composer, arranger and pianist. Originally from Tokyo, but now based in New York City, Hazama has studied music since she was five years old, beginning with piano and electric organ. When she was thirteen, she began to study composition in earnest, which led her to studies at Kunitachi College of Music and then to the Manhattan School, where she completed her master’s degree in jazz composition.

For Journey to Journey, Hazama has assembled a large ensemble that she calls the m_unit, a versatile large jazz ensemble that also features vibraphone and a string section. The ensemble performs a collection of inspired pieces Hazama wrote and arranged along with an intriguing arrangement of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi.”

The record begins with the ebullient “Mr. O,” which unleashes a torrent of musical ideas like yarns from an exuberant storyteller. “Tokyo Confidential” is a charging yet mysterious, noir-ish tune featuring the superb vibraphone playing of special guest Stefon Harris. The lush “Blue Forest” presents an expertly wrought arrangement led by strings followed by a lilting flugelhorn feature. “Journey to Journey” relates directly to the sentiment of moving forward from one path to the next with an upbeat composition with an occasionally tentative but ultimately uplifting theme. The track also features the sublime tones of Steve Wilson’s alto saxophone.

Hazama’s interpretation of Lady Gaga’s hit “Paparazzi” shows the young arranger’s ability to transform a well-known theme into something entirely new. “Believing in Myself” is a tricky composition challenging performers and listeners alike but culminating in an intense, beautiful ending. The mingling of woodwinds and strings make “Ballad” a short and stunning harmonic study. The music of “What Will You See When You Turn the Next Corner?” asks many questions and gives an intriguing answer with a nuanced and diverse performance. “Hidamari” closes the record with an introspective, beautiful tone poem.

Journey to Journey introduces a new and exceptionally talented voice into the jazz world. Miho Hazama has studied and molded herself into an artist of great value. This recording is a perfect introduction to her musical identity as she begins her next journey.