Hiromi Uehara

Hiromi Uehara (上原 ひろみ), known professionally as Hiromi, is a Japanese jazz composer and pianist. She is known for her virtuosic technique, energetic live performances and blending of musical genres such as stride, post-bop, progressive rock, classical, nu jazz and fusion in her compositions.

Biography
Uehara was born in Hamamatsu, Japan. She started learning piano at the age of six and was introduced to jazz by her piano teacher Noriko Hikida when she was eight. At age 14, she played with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. When she was 17 years old, she met Chick Corea by chance in Tokyo and was invited to play with him at his concert the next day. After being a jingle writer for a few years for Japanese companies such as Nissan, she enrolled to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. There, she was mentored by Ahmad Jamal and had already signed with jazz label Telarc before her graduation.

Anthony Jackson, who was previously a guest on the Brain album, joined Uehara along with drummer Simon Phillips as part of the Trio Project for the 2011 album Voice. The Trio Project went on to make the albums Move (2012), Alive (2014), and Spark (2016). Spark reached the number one position on the US Billboard Jazz Albums chart for the week of April 23, 2016.

In 2021 she performed at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In 2023 she performed a Tiny Desk Concert.

Instruments
In a 2010 interview, Uehara said she plays the Yamaha CFIII-S concert grand piano, Nord Lead 2, Clavia Nord Electro 2 73, Clavia Nord Stage Piano, and Korg microKORG.

Personal life
Uehara married Japanese fashion designer Mihara Yasuhiro in 2007. They met after she performed at one of his fashion shows in Milan the year before.

Studio albums

 * Another Mind (Telarc Jazz, 2003) – rec. 2002
 * Brain (Telarc Jazz, 2004) – rec. 2003
 * Spiral (Telarc Jazz, 2006) – rec. 2005
 * Hiromi's Sonicbloom, Time Control (Telarc Jazz, 2007) – rec. 2006
 * Hiromi's Sonicbloom, Beyond Standard (Telarc Jazz, 2008)
 * Place to Be (Telarc Jazz, 2009)
 * The Trio Project, Voice (Telarc Jazz, 2011)
 * The Trio Project, Move (Telarc Jazz, 2012)
 * The Trio Project. Alive (Telarc Jazz, 2014)
 * The Trio Project, Spark (Telarc Jazz, 2016)
 * Spectrum (Telarc Jazz, 2019)
 * Hiromi The Piano Quintet, Silver Lining Suite (Telarc Jazz, 2021)
 * Hiromi's Sonicwonder, Sonicwonderland (2023)

Live albums

 * Hiromi's Sonicbloom Live in Concert (2007)[DVD-Video]
 * Duet (Chick Corea & Hiromi album) with Chick Corea (Stretch, 2008)[2CD] - live rec. 2007 at Blue Note Tokyo
 * Hiromi Live in Concert (2009)[DVD-Video] – rec. 2005
 * Duet with Chick Corea (2009)[DVD-Video] - rec. 2007. released in Japan only.
 * Solo Live at Blue Note New York (2011) - rec. 2010 at Blue Note Jazz Club
 * The Trio Project, Hiromi: Live in Marciac (2012)[DVD-Video]
 * Move: Live in Tokyo (2014)[DVD-Video]

Other appearances

 * The Stanley Clarke Trio featuring Hiromi and Lenny White, Jazz in the Garden (Heads Up, 2009)
 * Flashback, Triangle Soundtrack (BMG Japan, 2009)
 * Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Goldfingers (cutting edge, 2010)
 * The Stanley Clarke Band featuring Hiromi, The Stanley Clarke Band (Heads Up, 2010) - in "No Mystery", "Larry Has Traveled 11 Miles and Waited a Lifetime for the Return of Vishnu's Report", "Labyrinth" and "Sonny Rollins"
 * Akiko Yano and Hiromi, Get Together – Live in Tokyo (Universal, 2011)
 * Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Walkin' (cutting edge, 2012)
 * Kelly Peterson, Oscar, With Love (Two Lions, 2015) - reissued (Mack Avenue, 2017) in "Take Me Home' and 'Oscar's New Camera"
 * Akiko Yano and Hiromi, Ramen-na Onnatachi (Universal, 2017)
 * Hiromi & Edmar Castañeda, Live in Montreal (Telarc, 2017)

Filmography

 * Blue Giant (Music, 2023)