I discovered Keiko Matsui by accident while surfing for other music. I listened to a few tunes and was immediately hooked. One by one I listened to her snips of music and had to have the album. Then I moved on to another album from Keiko. Then another, then another. She will be with me for my future roads trips and Friday night dinner parties. Trust me, she'll relax you and make you feel like the evening is meant for two.

If there's such a thing as poetic music, Matsui continues her discovery of it on this effort. For all its beauty ad more aggressive touches, this collection doesn't quite measure up to her previous collection No Borders, but there are moments of fusion in her work here which cook like never before, thanks to Eric Marienthal, Gerald Albright and guitarist Ron Komie. While husband/producer Kazu Matsui adds his mysterious shakuhachi wind to "Grey Cliffs," Matsui spends her time creating soundscapes which range from mainly acoustic to punchy electric pieces like "Hope." Clay Jenkins' flugelhorn is a plus. The two vocals here don't give Greg Walker enough excitement to play with; instead they seem too ambitious. Don't let the flowers on the cover fool you because this disc is anything but fluffy and pastoral in nature.

Taking a stroll through Keiko Matsui's musical hypnotherapy session Dream Walk is like entering a funhouse where all previous definitions of contemporary jazz are strikingly distorted, and invention walks on the wild side of East meets West. Crisp melodies have always been at the heart of the keyboardist's best work, only here they come at you as part of the mood, rather than the central theme. Only a handful of the keyboardist's tunes follow conventional linear melodic patterns throughout, and even these are so beautifully enhanced by sweeping orchestral and percussive invention that atmosphere and throbbing, raw twists ultimately win out over predictability. Equal credit for the newly aggressive approach goes to husband/producer Kazu Matsui, whose sonic wizardry surrounds Keiko's silky jazz and new age passageways with curious echoing flavors, enticing soundscapes where almost anything goes, and loose-fitting urban cool. Other out-there touches include Molly Pasutti's sweeping wordless vocals, bass samples by Marcus Miller and John Patitucci chosen over live bass, and Kazu's own shakuhachi. More typical excitement is provided by Paul Taylor's always warm soprano and alto musings.

If we're talking Keiko Matsui, we can expect another impressionistic album cover which belies the often explosive music on the disc. Matsui draws a little more from her heritage this time but textures it with soulful excursions ("Walking on the Bridge"). She once again gives radio a seductive earful while continuing her heightened exploration into more challenging orchestral sounds and several impressive, wildly percussive Latin journeys (e.g. "Sail South"). Making perfect use of Lenny Castro's spicy percussion and Clay Jenkins' punchy trumpet flavors, Matsui lets loose. The gospel vocal by Arnold McCuller is a strong one. Other newcomers to the fold are guitarist Jorge Strunz, Jon Clark (recorder) and Sam Riney on sax.

This auspicious introduction to the many aspects of the composer's skills finds her surrounded by a slew of L.A.'s top players, some of whom had yet to begin their own solo careers at this point: Grant Geissman, Brandon Fields, Robben Ford, Nathan East, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Jimmy Johnson. Matsui balances a mystic Eastern edge with a lighthearted new agey pop appeal. "Ancient Wind" and the Geissman co-composition "Mediterranean Sand" are the best cuts, building from pastoral ideas into an explosive ensemble hook. Matsui also showed her penchant for soulful vocal pieces, using Abu Khalil and Marva King to varying effectiveness. The emotional vocal title cut was inspired by Challenger astronaut Ron McNair.

Keiko Matsui’s 2013 Soul Quest album was particularly important to the Tokyo-born pianist, not only because it celebrated the 25th anniversary of her debut U.S. release but also because she made it following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan—which she experienced first-hand. Live in Tokyo, presented here on both audio CD and DVD, captures Matsui’s first return to her hometown since the tragedy, the finale of her 2014 tour. It reprises most of Soul Quest more or less faithfully, Matsui accompanied by her road band of guitarist JP Mourao, saxophonist Tom Braxton, Rico Belled on bass and Dave Karasony drumming. She’s also joined by guitarist Chuck Loeb, who produced half of Soul Quest, and tenor saxophonist Kirk Whalum, who played on it.

Keiko Matsui is an icon of Contemporary Jazz. With over 1.2 million units sold in the U.S. along and sold out appearances at concert halls across the world, she is one of the most recognized artists in the genre. Her elegant piano melodies and gentle jazz grooves have enormous appeal and never disappoint the loyal fan base which she has cultivated with over a dozen albums and hundreds of stunning live shows.
Keiko follows up 2012 s critically acclaimed production The Road with the brilliant new album Soul Quest without a doubt her most heartfelt release yet. The impressive list of special guests includes saxophone greats Kirk Whalum, Andy Snitzer (of Rolling Stones fame) and Dave Mann, hit making guitarist Chuck Loeb (Fourplay), superstar bassists Marcus Miller (Miles Davis) and Will Lee (of David Letterman fame), drummer and mega-producer Narada Michael Walden (Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston) and more.

After our 3-year-long and sensuous journey and love affair with the remarkable Soul Quest release and tour, our resident princess ofKeiko Matsui Journey CD contemporary jazz and World music, pianist/keyboardist/composer/visionary Keiko Matsui is back with – what else?—another guaranteed smash hit project called Journey to the Heart. Oh yes. Get ready for yet another colorful and soul-satisfying journey offered up by one who has never learned the meaning of the words “quit” or “mediocre.”