Hiromi

Biography

Hiromi Uehara was born on March 26, 1979, in Hamamatsu, Japan, and began her musical journey at age six under the guidance of piano teacher Noriko Hikida, who uniquely taught her to play based on emotions by announcing colors. At age eight, Hikida introduced her to jazz, sparking an immediate connection to the music of Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner. Her prodigious talent became evident early—at fourteen, she performed with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and at seventeen, she met her hero Chick Corea by chance in Tokyo and was invited to perform at his concert the next day. After working as a jingle writer for Japanese companies including Nissan, she enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1999, where she was mentored by jazz legend Ahmad Jamal and signed to the Telarc label before graduation.

Hiromi's international career launched with her 2003 debut album "Another Mind," which shipped gold in Japan and was named Jazz Album of the Year by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. Throughout the 2000s, she established herself as a virtuosic and innovative force in jazz, releasing albums such as "Brain" (2004) and "Spiral" (2006), while forming the group Hiromi's Sonicbloom with bassist Tony Grey, drummer Martin Valihora, and guitarist David Fiuczynski. In 2011, she won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album as part of the Stanley Clarke Band, and subsequently led her acclaimed Trio Project with contrabass guitarist Anthony Jackson and drummer Simon Phillips, producing four albums including "Voice" (2011), "Move" (2012), "Alive" (2014), and "Spark" (2016), with the latter reaching number one on the U.S. Billboard Jazz Album charts.

Known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances, and fearless blending of stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical, nu jazz, and fusion, Hiromi refuses to define herself or her music by genre, preferring to let audiences interpret her work. Her artistry has earned recognition from major outlets including The New York Times and NPR, and she has performed at the world's most esteemed jazz festivals including Montreux, Umbria, North Sea, Newport, and Monterey. In 2021, she achieved a career milestone by performing at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, cementing her status as one of the most exciting and influential pianists in contemporary jazz.

Fun Facts

• At age 14, Hiromi performed with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, demonstrating her exceptional talent at a remarkably young age.
• She met her musical hero Chick Corea completely by chance in Tokyo when she was 17 years old, and he invited her to perform at his concert the very next day—a serendipitous encounter that became a pivotal moment in her career.
• Her childhood piano teacher Noriko Hikida used an innovative teaching method, instructing Hiromi to play based on emotions by announcing colors, which shaped her intuitive approach to music.
• In 2021, Hiromi achieved international recognition by performing at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, representing Japan on one of the world's largest stages.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Noriko Hikida - Childhood piano teacher who introduced Hiromi to jazz and taught her to play based on emotions and intuition (Early classical and jazz training) [1985-1990s]
• Ahmad Jamal - Jazz legend and mentor at Berklee College of Music who profoundly influenced her artistic development (Mentorship during Berklee studies; influenced her debut album 'Another Mind') [1999-2003]
• Chick Corea - Legendary pianist and early inspiration who invited her to perform at his Tokyo concert when she was 17; later collaborated on his double album 'Duet' ('Duet' (2009)) [1996-2009]

Key Collaborators

• Stanley Clarke - Bassist and collaborator on multiple projects including the Grammy-winning Stanley Clarke Band ('Jazz in the Garden' with Stanley Clarke Trio; 'The Stanley Clarke Band' album (Grammy Award winner, 2011)) [2011]
• Anthony Jackson - Contrabass guitarist and core member of Hiromi's Trio Project ('Voice' (2011), 'Move' (2012), 'Alive' (2014), 'Spark' (2016)) [2011-2016]
• Simon Phillips - Drummer and core member of Hiromi's Trio Project ('Voice' (2011), 'Move' (2012), 'Alive' (2014), 'Spark' (2016)) [2011-2016]
• David Fiuczynski - Guitarist and founding member of Hiromi's Sonicbloom ('Time Control' (2006), 'Beyond Standard' (2008)) [2006-2008]
• Tony Grey - Bassist and founding member of Hiromi's Sonicbloom ('Time Control' (2006), 'Beyond Standard' (2008)) [2006-2008]
• Martin Valihora - Drummer and founding member of Hiromi's Sonicbloom ('Time Control' (2006), 'Beyond Standard' (2008)) [2006-2008]
• Lenny White - Drummer and collaborator with Hiromi and the Stanley Clarke Trio ('Jazz in the Garden') [2011]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Another autumn (BLUE GIANT (オリジナル・サウンドトラック))
2. FIRST NOTE (BLUE GIANT (オリジナル・サウンドトラック))
3. Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8, Pathetique (Voice)
4. N.E.W. (BLUE GIANT (オリジナル・サウンドトラック))
5. Balloon Pop
6. Pendulum [Feat. Sonicwonder & Michelle Willis]
7. Impressions (BLUE GIANT (オリジナル・サウンドトラック))
8. Blackbird (Spectrum)
9. Yes! Ramen!! [Feat. Sonicwonder] (OUT THERE [Feat. Sonicwonder])
10. WE WILL (BLUE GIANT (オリジナル・サウンドトラック))

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz