Art Hirahara: Peace Unknown

Art Hirahara is one of the most in-demand pianists in contemporary jazz, appearing on countless recordings while steadily building an impressive solo career. WithPeace Unknown, he continues his prolific partnership with Posi-Tone Records, with a deeply personal and expansive set that brings new life to earlier compositions while introducing bold new material. Framed within a robust four-horn ensemble, the album stands as both a reflection on the past and a forward-looking artistic statement, elegantly merging lyrical expressiveness with structural daring.

Originally conceived by producer Marc Free during a whirlwind week of sessions, the project taps into Posi-Tone's impressive stable of musicians to assemble a dream ensemble. Despite Hirahara's admission that the recording week left him a bit "out of sorts," the result is anything but disjointed. This is an album full of synergy, with arrangements that elevate Hirahara's writing into cinematic terrain.

The title track, "Peace Unknown," sets the tone with a haunting, time-suspended lament, revisiting a piece originally penned in 2002 as a response to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Inspired by Ennio Morricone's score for Cinema Paradiso, this version leans into the emotional ambiguity of its title, offering a meditation rather than a resolution.

Hirahara strikes diverse moods across the set. "Anonima," his ode to the unnamed supporters of jazz, echoing Thelonious Monk in spirit and gesture, with Michael Dease delivering a witty, referential trombone solo. "Irons In The Fire," written hastily between takes, speaks to the creative chaos of the studio. However, it is never evident from the precision and poise of the performance. The musicians breathe life into every twist of Hirahara's through-composed form.

Diego Rivera's arrangement of "Drawing With Light" adds tenderness and contrast, while "Brooklyn Express" pulses with the kinetic energy of the D train, which runs from Coney Island to the Bronx. Hirahara describes this as his "lifeline to travel between Brooklyn and Manhattan," and this becomes his figurative version of Duke Ellington's "Take the 'A' Train." Rivera reimagines that spirit through a modern jazz lens, capturing the motion and mystery of urban travel. "The More Things Change," first heard on bassist Boris Kozlov's album First Things First (Posi-Tone 2022), swings hard thanks to Kozlov and drummer Rudy Royston's powerful rhythm partnership.

Three of the songs were originally featured on Hirahara's 2015 Positone release Libations and Medtations. "Father's Song" leans into introspection, written in memory of Hirahara's father, glowing with understated reverence. "The Looking Glass" brings literary whimsy into the fold, with Patrick Cornelius crafting a solo narrative that echoes the unpredictable logic of Lewis Carroll's classic tale. Finally, "Two Cubes," a spirited contrafact on "What Is This Thing Called Love?" that unleashes the full force of the ensemble, especially Royston, who all but steals the show with a fiery drum solo.

Hirahara once again proves himself a master of melody, mood, and form. It's a record that speaks softly at times, but never without purpose. Even in its most contemplative moments, it never loses its sense of direction. This is jazz with heart, intelligence and groove in equal measure—guiding listeners, with grace and purpose, into that space of Peace Unknown.

Comments