An Interview With Miki Yamanaka And Her New Album Breathe
Can Jazz save the world? This week the audio-centric show The Occasional Podcast interviews Miki Yamanaka, a Jazz Pianist, Organist, Composer and Educator. Her new album Breathe offers outstanding performances by Miki, Nichole Glover on Sax, and Tyrone Allen II and Jimmy Macbride holding it down in the rhythm section.
Breathe sounds great from the streaming services, but the 180 gram pressing is well mastered and offers an extremely clear window into the 9 songs, starting with the immersive opening track Indigo. On the podcast Miki discusses the ins-and-outs of the new album, as well as her love for vinyl.
S15E2 of The Occasional Podcast is produced by Brian Hunter marks the beginning of a new segment “The Bease Side” co-hosted by documentary filmmaker Bryan Beasley. TBS is intended to highlight artists with a slant towards analog, high fidelity and great production. In the case of Breathe, all boxes are checked fully with an appropriate number two pencil. Miki also talks about touring in Japan, and how Jazz music has been embedded into the local culture in different ways across the world.
The episode also provides an interesting look at the interaction of music and humanity, providing unique insights about an artist’s motivation, inspiration and how communal listening can still bring us all together. In a world that increasingly encourages a siloed existence, live Jazz could provide an opportunity to bridge the ever-broadening gap between entertainment and community. The same can be said for records and HiFi listening – unlike headphones and iPhones, music doesn’t have to be experienced in a void. Miki’s outlook is undeniably upbeat in this regard. Her highly interactive onstage performances, love for vinyl and musical “warmth” could help bring others into the fold. She wears colorful kimonos on stage (and in her everyday life) and comments that people who come to her shows usually “choose” to be there, opting for an physical experience IRL in lieu of streaming another TV show from the couch. Can Jazz truly save the world? Maybe not. But if we learned anything from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, getting out and listening to live music this weekend might be a good first step.
You can check out Miki Yamanaka’s Breathe and tour dates below, we highly encourage a good listen and recommend the LP if you are into analog.
On Instagram | Buy The Album Breathe | Stream
Season 15, Episode 2 of The Occasional Podcast is available now to listen in the embed below, also through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
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