Eri Yamamoto / Quotes

"My hat’s off to her. She’s found her own voice."

-  Herbie Hancock, Jazz Master

"4-Stars. Firefly reaffirms Yamamoto's standing as a contemporary pianist of the highest order. While [she] has a deft sense of harmony and note selection, not to mention sheer chops, her virtuosity never gets in the way of playing it straight from the heart.

-  Daniel A. Brown, DownBeat

 "Purposeful songs….address racial and sexual discrimination, yet also step back to celebrate simple joys.  Colors are Beautiful is as affirming as the title track [A Woman With A Purple Wig] is critical."

-  Steve Futterman, The New Yorker

"Yamamoto’s insistent rhythmic savvy [is] allied to a deep soulfulness. Bassist David Ambrosio once again demonstrates his keen melodic sensibility and propensity for surefooted commentary, while drummer Ikuo Takeuchi combines invention and drive into one elegant package."

-  John Sharpe, The New York City Jazz Record

"[Her] trio has been together almost a decade and has levels of telepathy that are enviable. This is a band that consistently generates a sound of joy without falling back on many jazz cliche´s. It’s hard to imagine a jazz trio with more magic at its fingertips."

-  Will Layman, PopMatters

"There are virtues in Yamamoto’s music that are rarely heard elsewhere. One is the depth of rapport with a rhythm section that has gigged with her regularly for over 13 years, making whole a steady stream of new compositions from her prolific muse. Another is Yamamoto’s ability to evoke ephemeral feelings and concepts with such precise intonation."

-  Britt Robson, JazzTimes

"Eri Yamamoto, who gracefully bridges the worlds of postbop and free jazz, surveys her warm, evocative songs without words in the company of bassist Dave Ambrosio and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi on Firefly, her typically elegant and understated new full-length."

-  Time Out New York

www.eriyamamoto.com