Miki Yamanaka, Chance, Cellar Live ***1/2

Chance includes a new take on 'Cheryl'

Playing the Brighton Jazz Festival in Rachael Cohen's quartet on the 26th Chance officially out in October is a piano trio affair that finds the Stateside Japanese pianist leader Miki Yamanaka joined by double bassist Tyrone Allen - whom we liked a good deal on Chase Elodia's Portrait Imperfect a couple of years ago - and by drummer Jimmy Macbride. Allen is very good on Charlie Parker classic, 'Cheryl.'

But of course it is Yamanaka who is the main focus. The jazzer hails from Kobe, pushes the listener to engage, and in this mostly succeeds on a set that covers the waterfront from the bebop age up to covering Geri Allen one of the reinventors of piano jazz as reframed by the MBASE pioneers of the 1980s in Brooklyn of which she was part spearheaded by Steve Coleman, Greg Osby and Cassandra Wilson.

But going even further back Yamanaka obviously loves 'Cheryl' as she has recorded the 1940s Charlie Parker tune before on her album Stairway to the Stars put out in 2021 - a duo treatment with English bassist Orlando Le Fleming whose own Wandering Talk hit the spot this year. Le Fleming is also playing on the same bill in Brighton in the band of Konitzian alto dynamo Sean Payne who is playing support on the night.

Watch and listen to the YouTube video of the Yamanaka trio's take on Geri Allen composition 'Unconditional Love' filmed at Rudy Van Gelder's in New Jersey where John Coltrane made A Love Supreme 60 years ago this December.

The tender Allen piece figured on The Life of a Song which was ostensibly a trio album with Keith Jarrett Standards trio drummer Jack DeJohnette and his fellow Bitches Brew Milesian compadre Dave Holland issued by Telarc 20 years ago. Allen died in 2017.

Yamanaka's albums to date include most notably Shades Of Rainbow featuring tenor icon Mark Turner who also figured on the drummerless Stairway to the Stars (Outside In).

Lit up drumming

Yamanaka works better with a drummer and Macbride's lit up playing and super time keeping are an active ingredient in what makes this a very more-ish listen. Maureen Sickler sonics done down at Rudy's in New Jersey are, natch, tip top.

Pier pressure - no fears

But the treatment of Monk's 'Trinkle Tinkle' (Thelonious, Prestige, 1953) - Monk on that recording with bassist Gary Mapp and drummer Max Roach - is maybe overly silky and not zany enough. But that depends on your taste. Yet playing Monk is ALWAYS a good idea. Stick with it - the framing of the harmonies show a lot of ingenuity. 'Body and Soul' is no nonsense and there's more to enjoy. If you are a Helen Sung fan even more than a Toshiko Akiyoshi head - then yep Yamanaka is a pianist you need to check out asap. The Brighton gig is in Horatio's on the Palace Pier.