MARK TURNER wallows in the virtuosity of Swansea Jazz Festival openers, Simon Spillett and Pete Long
Latest editorial
‘Writing this tune was a very emotional process’
MAKIKO HIRABAYASHI talks to Chris Searle about her elegiac reflection on the Fukushima tsunami
EVER INVENTIVE: Makiko Hirabayashi
PAUL DONOVAN recommends three new books that explore the human relationship with nature
Doomed adolescents, when the missing person is you, classic whodunnit, and an anti-capitalist eco-thriller
WILL STONE takes a ticket to indie disco heaven, but misses the rarely performed tunes
Reviews of new releases by Jens Lekman, Big Thief, and Christian McBride Big Band
TOM PIERSCIONEK recommends a remarkable series of interviews with those few and brave Israeli citizens who refuse to do military service
COSMOPOLITAN to her very musical core, pianist Makiko Hirabayashi was born in Tokyo in 1966. Her mother was a pianist and English teacher and her father worked in the motor industry.
They moved to Hong Kong, where Hirabayashi spent her teenage years imbibing electropop, new wave, punk, reggae, rock and the classics before gaining a scholarship to Berklee jazz conservatoire, where she became fascinated by Boston’s live music scene and was inspired by pianists Keith Jarrett, McCoy Tyner and Joe Zawinul.
More from this author
CHRIS SEARLE encourages you to go hear a landmark performance, and introduces some of the musicians
CHRIS SEARLE hears the ordeal of the Palestinian people in the improvised musicianship of a UK jazz trio
Reviews of the Neil Charles Quartet, the Freddie Hubbard Quintet, and the Olie Brice Quartet
CHRIS SEARLE speaks to Chris Laurence, bassist and bandmate of saxophonist TONY COE
