Keiko Matsui

The spiritual and charitable-minded Japanese keyboardist, who blends ethereal new age textures with a rich soul-jazz sensibility better than anyone, is in top form on her 14th studio release. Like its recent predecessors on Narada Jazz, the CD features songs that are all about the landscape between subtlety and drama, elegant piano melodies and improvisations, dramatic flute and sax harmonies, and rich ambiences dense with percussion. Tying in perfectly with her current humanitarian work with United Nations World Food Program (WFP) efforts in Africa (most of her recent albums have tied into some charitable or health cause), the collection features subtle worldbeat threads throughout. "Flashback" features a gentle, classical-flavored piano melody over a gently throbbing bassline, before Matsui does some dramatic improvisations over dense, exotic percussion textures. "Facing Up" is quintessential graceful Matsui up until the feisty, machine-generated wall of polyrhythmic drums (which she simply dances over). "Sense of a Journey" is a little more smooth jazz-centered in spots, but later goes on a film score-like orchestral tangent. The intro to "Reflections" is low-key but decidedly African jungle in vibe, while the sweeping "Temple of Life" features hints of sitar, vocal choirs, and chanting beyond the orchestral flair. The closing title track is probably the most restrained piece production-wise, but also one of the most memorable melodically; its royalty proceeds will benefit the WFP, her latest charity. Matsui is always so consistent that it's hard to decide if one album ever tops another, but like most albums in her catalog, Wildflower is irresistible in its execution of incredible dynamics throughout. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide