SENRI OE

HOMEWORK

PND Records

Senri Oe, piano/keyboards/composer; Matt Clohesy, bass; Ross Pederson, drums.

The title tune of this recently released Senri Oe album “Homework,” blasts into my listening room with high-octane percussion driving the music. Oe developed this project after more than five years of composing and traveling between the United States, Europe and Japan.  His creative juices kept returning to one idea: an invisible movie soundtrack. His original title tune is played singularly by Oe using a Logic-Pro that plays all instruments.

Born in Osaka, Japan, Oe debuted his genius in 1983 on the Epic/Sony label releasing a staggering forty-five singles and eighteen original albums.  He became an arena-filling artist, a multi-platinum singer and songwriter. At the same time, he worked as an actor, a broadcaster, television host and to add even more accolades, an author and producer.  Senri Oe was a huge success and became a fixture of Japanese pop music.

Another unique instance of creativity is when the Oe trio shines on a production of his composition, “Stormy Day.” The Ross Pederson drums portray a thunderous storm, while Oe’s repetitive tinkling keyboard reminds me of rain on the roof. Matt Clohesy’s rich bass locks in the rhythm, along with Pederson’s percussion parts.

A song called “Acha!” brings back a taste of traditional New Orleans jazz. This time, Clohesy is walking his bass and Ross Pederson’s drums slam the groove into place. Oe’s piano introduces us to the melody and some of his piano technique reminds me of how Thelonious Monk might have played this tune. I enjoyed Matt Clohesy’s bass solo. Pederson’s drum solo was equally powerful although brief. Those drums double-time beneath the melody throughout the song, creating an interesting arrangement.

A tune Oe titled “Country Love” has a catchy, singable melody, a walking bass, and swinging drums.  But in his album liner notes, they list this song as “all instruments by Logic Pro” played by Senri Oe, even the drum solos. Impressive!

“Homework” is the 9^th original jazz album by Japanese pianist Senri Oe. He showcases his amazing imagination and creativity with compositions he has written over a five-year period. At 47 years old, he walked away from his Japanese celebrity, moved to Brooklyn, New York to search for more knowledge and expand his creativity. Oe enrolled at the New School, where he was mentored by Junior Mance and Aaron Goldberg. This production shows how a new life has inspired and elevated his work.  Perhaps Senri Oe explained this project clearly when he said: For me, “Homework” is no longer an obligation; it is a pursuit of life’s richness.  It is the beauty of the unfinished, the process of thinking, the scratch-pad of a score, the trial and error of the piano.

He offers us the cinema of his life, unfolding in notes sprinkled from his commitment to creativity and honesty, then poured lovingly into our eager ears.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

Subscribe to Our Newsletter