Search - Keiko Matsui :: Doll

Possibly the best "smooth Jazz" album ever

B. Borgognoni | FLINTSTONE, GA USA | 07/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Keiko at her best.."Doll" rivals "Cherry Blossom" in its enchanting beauty. This is music that sets the imagination to flight and bids you to escape from the mundane daylight world. The arrangements are complex and satisfying, the melodies sinuous and magnetic and the recording quality excellent. Anyone who appreciates music with some substance should feel a bit cheated not having this album."

Vibrant, deeply cool piano jazz!

Brianna Neal | USA | 10/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a stunning album that has it all--fire and ice, power and grace, stunning performances and fascinating, richly layered arrangements. Pianist Keiko Matsui is portrayed as quiet and unassuming in the cover photos, but boy does she come alive as a composer, brimming over with verve, passion, mystery and depth as she and a host of other musicians soar, pulse and groove their way through a variety of engaging instrumentals, with two vocal pieces thrown in for good measure. Matsui's compositions are jazz at its best--mature, interesting and ever-evolving in a swirl of interchanging leads and motifs. Many of the pieces have a driving, minor-keyed intensity to them that is very compelling, and quite a number of instruments contribute to the sound of this music, including bass, saxophone, electric and acoustic guitars, trumpet, trombone, cello, keyboards, programming, drums and a string quartet. And for a touch of the orient, there's even a koto, a shakuhachi and an occasional flirtation with the pentatonic scale. Personally, I could do without the singing, as it seems to water down the power of the instrumentals. However, the sensible lyrics are a refreshing change from the lust-dominated norm in this idiom. This 1994 album was followed by numerous other releases, including "Deep Blue," "Wildflower," and "White Owl," all in a similarly deft and powerful style. If you like the music of Keiko Matsui, you may also enjoy that of Peter White in "Glow."

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Doll is one of Keiko's best.

J. Wilson | San Francisco Area | 12/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you love Keiko's music - *get* *this* *album*.

This continues to be one of my favorites from Keiko.

As of 2006 I own 31 of her CD's including both the original and the Shout reissue 'Doll'. The title cut, track 3, has always been my favorite from this CD- a great intro and upbeat tempo that continues to build and develop throughout the track.

Only two cuts (from the oringinal 10) are less than 4 1/2 minutes. The Solo Piano tracks on the reissued Shout version of 'Doll' are an added bonus.

To my 'practiced ear' having listened to Keiko's music for years, the tracks on this CD flow very well from one to the next. Often, when i've finished playing this one, I want to play it again. (and maybe even a little louder...)

The first cut, 'Bronze Casting', can bring tears to my eyes when I listen as the sax plays counterpoint to the piano run.

If you love Keiko's music - *get* *this* *album*."