Keiko Matsui is usually classified as a jazz musician, which tends to mean that she doesn't get very good reviews, since she is reviewed by jazz critics, while her music actually is best described as a hybrid consisting of equal parts pop, jazz, and new age.
Matsui can be an impressive keyboard soloist at times, but her recordings consist of textured tracks that find her featured playing set within a soundscape characterized by synthesized drums and strings.
Whisper From the Mirror, her 11th album, is typical of her work, consisting of a series of four- and five-minute instrumental pieces full of shimmering, sustained sounds that pillow Matsui's delicate single-note runs and stately chord patterns.
Derek Nakamoto's arrangements are occasionally stirring, but never frantic, and usually they emphasize flow over rhythm, just as the keyboardist shows more interest in sustaining moods than demonstrating her chops, even when she concludes the album with a four-handed piano duet with Bob James.
It may be time to think about re-classifying Keiko Matsui from "jazz" to "new age," or even just putting her in a classification by herself.
In the meantime, Whisper From the Mirror is another in a series of enjoyable recordings.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whisper from the MirrorKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:37 | 10 MB | 25 MB |
| 2 | Invisible WingKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 05:09 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 3 | Tears of the OceanKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 05:28 | 12 MB | 26 MB |
| 4 | Between the MoonsKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 05:26 | 12 MB | 33 MB |
| 5 | Beyond the LightKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:26 | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| 6 | Torches on the EarthKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:59 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 7 | DimensionsKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:22 | 10 MB | 21 MB |
| 8 | Midnight StoneKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:30 | 10 MB | 20 MB |
| 9 | See You ThereKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui | Play | 04:14 | 9 MB | 21 MB |
| 10 | Ever AfterKeiko Matsui | Keiko Matsui, Bob James | Play | 05:42 | 13 MB | 21 MB |
| 11 | Savanna, No Problem | Keiko Matsui | Play | 05:10 | 11 MB | 26 MB |
| 54 mins | 123 MB | |||||
| 54 mins | 280 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Craig Burbidge | Mixing |
| 2 | Ken Freeman | Engineer |
| 3 | Steve Hall | Mastering |
| 4 | Bob James | Guest Artist, Piano, Primary Artist |
| 5 | Kazu Matsui | Jacket Design, Photography, Producer, Shakuhachi |
| 6 | Keiko Matsui | Composer, Piano, Primary Artist, Producer |
| 7 | Derek Nakamoto | Arranger, Engineer, Mixing, Programming, Synthesizer, Synthesizer Programming |
| 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). |