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.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dream WalkKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:47 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 2 | Bridge over the StarsKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:19 | 9 MB | 27 MB |
| 3 | Children of the OasisKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:38 | 10 MB | 26 MB |
| 4 | Fire in the DesertKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:38 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 5 | MaskKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:36 | 10 MB | 24 MB |
| 6 | Presence of the MoonKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:17 | 6 MB | 25 MB |
| 7 | Tribal BoatKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:32 | 10 MB | 26 MB |
| 8 | A Cat on the ChimneyKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:34 | 10 MB | 28 MB |
| 9 | PassageKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:25 | 10 MB | 27 MB |
| 10 | ValleyKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:23 | 10 MB | 22 MB |
| 43 mins | 100 MB | |||||
| 45 mins | 270 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allen J. Astin | Mridangam |
| 2 | Rob Chiarelli | Drum Programming |
| 3 | Julie Dennis | Photography |
| 4 | Ken Deranteriasian | Engineer |
| 5 | Bernie Dresel | Drums, Percussion |
| 6 | Steve Hall | Mastering |
| 7 | Abraham Laboriel, Sr. | Sampling |
| 8 | Kazu Matsui | Guest Artist, Producer, Shakuhachi |
| 9 | Keiko Matsui | Composer, Keyboards, Piano, Primary Artist |
| 10 | Kaz Matsune | Artwork, Design |
| 11 | Derek Nakamoto | Arranger, Bass, Drum Programming, Engineer, Keyboards, Rhythm Loops, Sequencing, Synthesizer |
| 12 | Molly Pasutti | Vocals |
| 13 | John Patitucci | Sampling |
| 14 | Joel Stoner | Engineer, Mixing |
| 15 | Paul Taylor | Guest Artist, Sax (Alto), Sax (Soprano) |
| 16 | Brian Young | Assistant Engineer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |