Hiromi Uehara

Template:Nihongo (born March 26, 1979), often known mononymously as Hiromi, is a Grammy Award winning Japanese jazz composer and pianist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She is known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances and blending of musical genres such as stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical, nu jazz and fusion in her compositions.<ref name=npr>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2021, she performed at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Biography

Uehara was born on March 26, 1979 in Hamamatsu, Japan.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She started learning piano at the age of six and was introduced to jazz by her piano teacher Noriko Hikida when she was eight.<ref name=npr /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At age 14, she played with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. When she was 17 years old, she met Chick Corea by chance in Tokyo and was invited to play with him at his concert the next day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early career

After being a jingle writer for a few years for Japanese companies such as Nissan, she enrolled to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There, she was mentored by Ahmad Jamal and had already signed with jazz label Telarc before her graduation, releasing the album Another Mind in 2003; she graduated later that year. That album shipped gold in Japan (with sales in excess of 100,000 units) and was named Jazz Album of the Year by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.<ref name=":0" />

After graduating from Berklee, Hiromi continued to write, record, and tour, releasing albums Brain (2004) and Spiral (2006). In 2006, she formed the group Hiromi's Sonicbloom with bassist Tony Grey, drummer Martin Valihora, and guitarist David Fiuczynski, subsequently releasing albums Time Control (2006) and Beyond Standard (2008) with the group.<ref name=":0" /> In 2011, Hiromi won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album as part of the Stanley Clarke Band.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Trio Project

Uehara's Trio Project brought together Anthony Jackson, who was previously a guest on the Brain album, and drummer Simon Phillips. The group made four albums together: Voice (2011), Move (2012), Alive (2014), and Spark (2016).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Move and Alive both charted inside the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Jazz Album charts, while Spark reached the number one position.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Instruments

In a 2010 interview, Uehara said she plays the Yamaha CFIII-S concert grand piano, Nord Lead 2, Clavia Nord Electro 2 73, Clavia Nord Stage Piano, and Korg microKORG.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Uehara married Japanese fashion designer Mihara Yasuhiro in 2007. They met after she performed at one of his fashion shows in Milan the year before.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Discography

Studio albums

• Another Mind (Telarc Jazz, 2003) – rec. 2002
• Brain (Telarc Jazz, 2004) – rec. 2003
• Spiral (Telarc Jazz, 2006) – rec. 2005
• Time Control by Hiromi's Sonicbloom (Telarc Jazz, 2007) – rec. 2006
• Beyond Standard by Hiromi's Sonicbloom (Telarc Jazz, 2008)
• Place to Be (Telarc Jazz, 2009)
• Voice by the Trio Project (Telarc Jazz, 2011)
• Move by the Trio Project (Telarc Jazz, 2012)
• Alive by the Trio Project (Telarc Jazz, 2014)
• Spark by the Trio Project (Telarc Jazz, 2016)
• Spectrum (Telarc Jazz, 2019)
• Silver Lining Suite by Hiromi and a string quartet (Telarc Jazz, 2021)
• Sonicwonderland by Hiromi's Sonicwonder (Telarc Jazz, 2023)
• OUT THERE by Hiromi's Sonicwonder (Telarc Jazz, 2025)

Live albums

• Hiromi's Sonicbloom Live in Concert (2007) [DVD-Video]
• Template:Ill with Chick Corea (Stretch, 2008) [2CD] - live rec. 2007 at Blue Note Tokyo
• Hiromi Live in Concert (2009) [DVD-Video] – rec. 2005
• Duet with Chick Corea (2009) [DVD-Video] - rec. 2007. released in Japan only.
• Solo Live at Blue Note New York (2011) - rec. 2010 at Blue Note Jazz Club
• Hiromi: Live in Marciac by the Trio Project (2012) [DVD-Video]
• Move: Live in Tokyo (2014) [DVD-Video]

Other appearances

• Jazz in the Garden - The Stanley Clarke Trio featuring Hiromi and Lenny White (Heads Up, 2009)
• Triangle Soundtrack - Flashback (BMG Japan, 2009)
• Goldfingers - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (cutting edge, 2010)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• The Stanley Clarke Band - The Stanley Clarke Band featuring Hiromi in "No Mystery", "Larry Has Traveled 11 Miles and Waited a Lifetime for the Return of Vishnu's Report", "Labyrinth" and "Sonny Rollins"(Heads Up, 2010)
• Get Together – Live in Tokyo - Akiko Yano and Hiromi (Universal, 2011)
• Walkin' - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (cutting edge, 2012)
• Oscar, With Love - Kelly Peterson, with Hiromi in "Take Me Home' and 'Oscar's New Camera" (Two Lions, 2015; reissued by Mack Avenue, 2017)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Ramen-na Onnatachi - Akiko Yano and Hiromi (Universal, 2017)
• Live in Montreal - Hiromi & Edmar Castañeda (Telarc, 2017)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

• Blue Giant (Music, 2023)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website
• Template:MusicBrainz artist
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• 2009 concert, recorded at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco