Inspired by a recent trip to South Africa, written during said trip and recorded with some of the country's finest musicians, Moyo is internationally-renowned smooth-jazz artist Keiko Matsui's latest release, coming just over two years since 2005's Walls of Akendora. Matsui's first original album with Shout! Factory (who have also re-released several of her earlier works plus a solo-piano collection), the disc, her first self-production, heralds a "new age" in her career while managing to be as alluring and attractive as ever.

Matsui's ivory-tickling fingers are joined here by a cast of "legendary" (as the album's press-release and Keiko's liner notes describe them) musicians whose presence gives the album a whole new spin (Grecco Buratto's acoustic guitar solo on A Great Romance is lovely, and Gerald Albright's tenor sax helps to make Into the Night darn good). While the piano is still the prominent instrument here and leads many of the tracks, here, Matsui often takes a backseat and gives her guests time to shine, something that hasn't happened much since her early days. As well, in a surprising move, Matsui brought back the vocal track (something, again, she hasn't done for over a decade) -- Um Novo Dia. The vocals here (in Portugese) are handled by Waldemar Bastos, who has a habit of going a bit histrionic and overwrought, but is competent enough and makes for an interesting listen when pitted against the song's mournful backdrop.

Taking a cue from its predecessor, Moyo is flavored with plenty of upbeat pieces, although the ballads are just as good as the rest; in addition, its distinctive African vibe gives the songs a musical identity that is both familiar (Matsui's used African rhythms before) and decidedly new when it comes to Matsui material. Sequencing, as seems to always be the case with Matsui albums, is a bit of a problem, as there are a couple times here where she segues from a decidedly-upbeat track to a slower piece and it comes across as jarring (An Evening In Gibraltar to When I Close My Eyes comes to mind). Things others had a problem with -- such as the guest musicians and heavy African flavoring -- I find work exceptionally well; true, there are a lot of guests here, but Matsui balances things well and their expertise and ability add to the album rather than detract. Something I do have a problem with is the way arranger Derek Nakamoto chose to structure some of these tracks, as the layering and combinations of instruments give some of these tracks a bit of an "adult" feeling (the beginnings of A Great Romance and Into The Night, for example) as opposed to straightforward jazz ambiance. It's distracting, but doesn't lessen the album's quality, as Matsui has produced yet another wonderful work. Some of my favorites include:

Moyo (Heart And Soul)
Unlike her past couple of releases, Matsui starts things off here in a rather midtempo, low-key mood. She lays down a simple, repeated piano line over a simple unidentified-African-drum rhythm before some chanting -- which sounds more like scatting, actually, although I'll call it chanting -- from Richard Bona chimes in and the song really begins to develop. Bona's well- played bass underscores much of the song, and when combined with Matsui's focused, direct melody, works incredibly well. As the track progresses, the drums play louder (as Matsui repeats the melody again) and Bona chants some more (following Matsui's melody line) before Matsui's jazz side kicks in and she goes off an an impromptu solo during the middle. And, as always with her solos, it's not completely improv, as there are flirtations with her melody embedded within. She plays backwards down the piano before reprising the melody once more before backing downward to a very quiet, simple, three-note finish. As an opener, this is less frantic than either Flashback or Overture for the City but manages to be just as engaging as both.

An Evening In Gibraltar
While the album's lead single (Black River) is a fine song itself, I personally would have chosen this track to present to listeners. While I've always thought Matsui's slower pieces are good (albeit hit-or-miss sometimes), her faster pieces never fail to impress, and this one's no exception. Riding on a jittery drum beat, swinging bass and Matsui's piano, the track is jazzy enough as Matsui jumps all over the map, starting with a flirtatious, saucy melody before walking back down the piano to take a backseat role and play harmony as guest trumpeter Hugh Masakela steps in for a simple, repetitive- but-effective (and powerful) solo; Matsui improvs a bit during the bridge (where Masakela underscores things a bit) and the song reprises the main melody once more before building to an explosive, sudden finish.

When I Close My Eyes
Of the album's slower pieces, this is probably the best. Combining the so-called "New Age" sound from Matsui's first three Narada-released albums with a simple percussion section and almost-tropical sounding electric guitar riffs, the track is a thought-provoking-yet-relaxing ballad that evokes images of sitting on the beach, watching the waves. The song's main melody is familiar to me somehow (like I've heard it before), but that doesn't stop it from being one of Matsui's greatest -- there's a lyricless song being played out here, and Matsui's piano drives it, from the soft beginnings through the chorus and the wandering bridge, to a gentle conclusion that gives the album some well-appreciated downtime.

Allure
Joined once again by saxophonist Gerald Albright, Matsui creates one of her most jazz-inspired tracks yet with this little number. She infuses a simple bass-and-drum beat with a stacatto piano line before turning to a supporting role and letting the soundscape grow as Albright's saxophone plays with notes and the song turns majestic and grand, finding a home somewhere between Matsui's two favorite genres. Like her earlier works that showed a fusion between Eastern and Western musical sensibilities, this track toes the line between jazz and soundscape -- it's neither, but rather a fine combination of both, something that should make all Matsui fans quite happy. Unlike a lot of her material, this one fades out, as well, giving it a sort of messy, unfinished quality that I like.

Moyo is a strong album that was well-worth the two-year wait. Matsui, as always, creates tracks that manage to engage the senses and please the ears. She's an artist that, throughout a career spanning nearly three decades, has reinvented herself time and again and doesn't show signs of wearing out any time soon. While there are hints of her earlier material here (including a reprise of some old melodies), the songs sound fresh and inviting, not old and stale. Highly, highly recommended.

Keiko Matsui: "Moyo"
[ CDA | Shout! Factory | $18.98 | 2007.04.24 ]

01. Moyo (Heart And Soul) [ 3:44 ]
02. A Great Romance [ 4:05 ]
03. Into The Night [ 4:27 ]
04. Caricias [ 5:33 ]
05. An Evening In Gibraltar [ 3:31 ]
06. When I Close My Eyes [ 4:25 ]
07. After The Rain [ 4:24 ]
08. Allure [ 4:34 ]
09. Black River [ 4:30 ]
10. Old Potch Road [ 5:55 ]
11. Um Novo Dia (A New Day) [ 4:12 ]
12. Marula [ 3:19 ]

[ http://www.keikomatsui.com ]

Other Keiko Matsui Reviews:

Deep Blue (2001)
Wildflower (2004)
Walls of Akendora (2005)

Recommended: Yes