Keiko Matsui brought an acoustic spin to her popular, piano-based smooth jazz repertoire at the second of two sets played at the Soiled Dove Underground Friday night.
While the first set was sold out, the second was more sparsely attended (perhaps in anticipation of the coming blizzard). This made for a very relaxed, intimate performance. Matsui, who has recorded with a who s-who of the studio jazz world, was playing with a new band featuring upright bass player Carlitos Del Puerto and drummer Jimmy Branly (both from Cuba) and subdued acoustic guitar player Grecco Buratto from Brazil.
Between songs, Matsui spoke to the crowd with a thick Japanese accent and charmed them with tales of new alcoholic drinks the Cubans were helping her discover. Her set included such crowd favorites as Kapo, Forever, Forever, Soul Quest and A Drop of Water, all performed in unique renditions due to the acoustic set up and notable absence of a sax player.
Matsui played the house grand piano all night, covering additional notes with her left hand on a synthesizer. Her playing was polished and playful at times, and the live set gave considerable opportunities for the rhythm section to shine. She closed with a solo performance of Deep Blue. No big surprises needed. It was an appropriate ending to a relaxed evening of great sounding, well performed light jazz.
