Chasing shadows
I have always known Tony Grey as part of pianist Hiromi Uehara’s famous trio. Now, who wouldn’t be fascinated by Hiromi? Jazz buffs were all agog when Hiromi cut her debut album “Another Find” for Telarc in 2003. She is best known for her skillful technique, bouncy live performances and inspired mixing of musical genres, such as jazz, progressive rock, classical and fusion, in her masterpieces. Her kind of music has since been embraced by music fans all over the world, garnering award after award — Best Jazz Act at the Boston Music Awards, the Guinness Jazz Festival’s Rising Star Award, the Jazzman of the Year, Pianist of the Year and Album of the Year in Swing Journal Japan’s Readers Poll for her 2006 release “Spiral,” to name a few.
But Hiromi herself admits that she owes much of her success to the two other members of her group: bassist Tony Grey, her fellow Berklee schoolmate, and drummer Martin Valihora. She’s been touring with them since her second album “Brain” was released in 2004.
So I was excited to learn that Tony Grey has an upcoming Manila concert as a solo artist this August. I have no doubt that it will be a huge success.
Tony has not stopped wowing audiences after graduating from Berklee with honors in 2001. He has rightly earned his reputation as one of the most thrilling bassists of his generation. Tony has likewise played and recorded with the likes of John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Zakir Hussain and Branford Marsalis. His first 2004 solo recording ... “Moving” got rave reviews for his firm grasp of melody and songwriting dexterity, and was heralded as a gifted genius.
But it is his 2008 second solo album “Chasing Shadows” which got me hooked to his music. From the first track to the last, the album gave chilling out a deeper meaning. More importantly, however, the album serves as his first journey out of Hiromi’s shadow. It also cements his place as a unique and innovative solo performer in a very competitive industry. “Chasing Shadows” morphs superb musical artistry and the fresh approaches on harmony of a real notesmith.
If Tony’s first album seems to conjure influences of all the different styles in music, “Chasing Shadows” is more musical. Composition-wise, it is more down-to-earth. It has that mass appeal that can easily draw larger audiences.
In earlier interviews, Tony professed his love for melodies and revealed that one of his biggest influences in music is Burt Bacharach. He says Burt creates melodies that stick in people’s heads: “I just wanted to create something that would be memorable, something that would stick even if they weren’t listening to it or hadn’t heard it for a while.”
Jazz fans may also find a little bit of Pat Metheny in Tony’s music, and he’s not about to hide his liking for Pat’s melodic tunes. He says that what sets Pat apart from other musicians is that when Pat does solos, the melody lingers for a long while.
But it was Tony’s collaboration with Hiromi that spells his own success. Before they met at Berklee, he already knew that people were talking about “this crazy piano player.” He heard her play, introduced himself and invited her to play at one of his recitals.
Tony recounts that at Berklee there were other remarkable musicians, “but as soon as Hiromi touches the piano keys, everyone is just blown away by it.” Tony still gushes like a fan when he talks about Hiromi, but his Filipino fans will soon find out that he has stepped out of her shadow to create his own musical legacy.
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