Open Sky Art Hirahara

• 1 Groundswell 03:35
• 2 Inimitably, Mr. B. 04:07
• 3 Peony 03:17
• 4 Open Sky 07:15
• 5 Mia Bella 04:04
• 6 Não Tão Azul 03:59
• 7 Cittadella 05:16
• 8 Together, Apart 05:57
• 9 Sunday Morning 04:25
• 10 Weathered The Storm 03:41
• 11 I'm Getting Sentimental Over You 03:46
• 12 Empathy 05:00
• 13 Nightfall 05:25
• Total Runtime 59:47

Info for Open Sky

Pianist Art Hirahara turns his musical aspirations toward an “Open Sky,” unveiling a subtly evocative set of melodic insights and intimate emotional expressions for his sixth release on Posi-Tone. Spreading his sensitivities and talents across the piano keyboard, Hirahara presents listeners with a seamless aggregate of brilliant next level compositions and graceful interpretations amalgamated by accompaniment from some the finest musicians on the scene today. This captivating collection of hard hitting performances features Hirahara playing alongside bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Rudy Royston, as well as guest appearances from saxophonist Nicole Glover and vibraphonist Behn Gillece, all of whom come together to employ a wide palette of harmony and color to elucidate the structures while steadily holding down the backline groove with a cavalcade of contrapuntal rhythms. Featuring a tour de force combination of talents, brilliant musicianship, and an evocative program of new compositions, Hirahara’s “Open Sky” is guaranteed to bring a wide range of bright moments and intense joy to jazz fans everywhere.

Art Hirahara, piano
Boris Kozlov, bass
Rudy Royston, drums & percussion
Nicole Glover, saxophone (tracks 5, 8, 10)
Behn Gillece, vibraphone (track 4)

Art Hirahara
a jazz keyboardist and composer based in New York, NY. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Art moved to New York in 2003 to be challenged by its pool of world-class musicians. Here he has honed his craft, performing in a wide range of musical situations ranging from straight ahead standards to time cycle-based progressive jazz to free improvisation. From the traditional to the avant-garde, Art has found a sound of his own that cuts across genres and boundaries.

Art began his training in music at the age of four, studying with Sue Shannon, an unconventional classical piano teacher who taught improvisation and composition from the earliest stages of musical development. This provided the foundation for his awakening to jazz during his studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he earned a degree in Electronic and Computer Music. During his junior year, he began jazz piano studies with the Cleveland jazz giant, Neal Creque.

He then continued at California Institute of the Arts, where he was mentored by David Roitstein, Charlie Haden and Wadada Leo Smith. It was there that he immersed himself in world music, focusing on West African drumming and dance, Balinese gamelan and North Indian tabla. After his move to New York, Art studied at the Banff Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music program with Dave Douglas in 2004.

Art has had the privilege to perform with Stacey Kent, Freddy Cole, Akira Tana, Rufus Reid, Don Braden, Roseanna Vitro, Dave Douglas, Vincent Herring, Victor Lewis, Travis Sullivan s Bjorkestra, Jim Black, Jenny Scheinman, Greg Cohen, Fred Ho, Sean Nowell, royal hartigan and Hafez Modirzadeh. He has performed around the world in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East and extensively around the United States.

In New York, he has played at the city ’s premier venues, including Birdland, Smalls, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Jazz Standard and 55 Bar. In addition to performing, Art is an educator. He has taught master classes both domestically and abroad. He taught at the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory and was a performing member of NY PopsEd, an educational organization focusing on bringing music to elementary and secondary schools.

Art ’s piano and compositional sound are an amalgamation of the varied musical influences he has studied and the wide range of leaders he has worked for. Art is constantly seeking new situations to challenge his musicality. Most recently has worked as a producer for recordings and musical director for various artists of different genres.

This album contains no booklet.