Song for Hope documents the
Aki Takase Trio in their debut performance at the 1981 Berlin Jazz Festival, on the pianist's first European tour as a bandleader. Released by
Enja in 1982, the album's reputation among jazz musicians is lofty, and critics remarked that
Takase stood out even on a label that hosted iconic jazz pianists such as
Cecil Taylor,
Mal Waldron,
Abdullah Ibrahim, and
Tommy Flanagan. Her rhythm section here includes session bassist
Nobuyoshi Ino, who joined her in 1978, and ubiquitous jazz scene drummer
Takeo Moriyama, who previously played with
Ino in
Takehiro Honda's trio. Though released in four countries,
Song for Hope went out of print quickly. It is re-pressed on LP and CD (the latter for the first time) as part of
BBE's fantastic J Jazz series curated by collectors
Tony Higgins and
Mike Peden. The album's title track appeared on
J Jazz, Vol. 3.
The trio's four long performances were pristinely recorded. Opener "Monologue" is delivered solely by
Takase. Over the nine-and-a-half-minute track, she careens across bop, gospel, swing, ragtime, and more with a rumbling left hand and hard-swinging chords. Joined by the rhythm section,
Takase pours her heart out on the elegant title cut. In the midtempo ballad with glorious pizzicato work by
Ino,
Moriyama establishes a bumping groove that weds Latin-tinged rhythms and post-bop.
Takase responds to each rhythmic idea dynamically with profound lyricism, discipline, and elegance even when her playing travels outside. "Minerva's Owl" is the title cut from
Takase's 1981 studio album (with saxophonist
Dave Liebman). A ballad, its sparse changes reflect a near-mantra-like reliance on the chorus, allowing the pianist to explore the tune's intricate, assonant, and surprisingly intimate nuances. The set closer, "Mountain Forest," is over 13 minutes long. It is introduced by a long, intensely exploratory solo by
Ino (accompanied sparely by
Moriyama) moving back and forth between pizzicato and arco before
Takase enters with bright gospelized chords. The trio explore a complex modal melody over a verse-and-chorus structure before
Moriyama takes an extended, varied, and breathtaking drum solo that drives the crowd wild. When
Takase re-enters with a trill of high-register notes, she moves directly at her rhythm section, dropping knotty phrases and skittering notes until she engages the other players in fiery counterpoint and eventually returns to the theme.
Takase has enjoyed a long and fruitful career; she is one of the most remarkable pianists in jazz. Though a very early release,
Song for Hope reveals her already in full command as a composer, improvisor, bandleader, and soloist. Essential. ~ Thom Jurek
![Ellington & Coltrane [Bonus Track]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/8436542012461_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Ellington & Coltrane [Bonus Track]")
