Miho Sasaki
From My Heart
Miho Sasaki is an artist who perfected a very distinctive formula with her songs. Inspired by genres as diverse as classic jazz, easy listening and other styles, Miho created a sound that feels incredibly dynamic, but also quite timeless in the way it’s shaped and produced.
Her most recent studio release, From My Heart, is a perfect showcase of her artistry and skills. The arrangement is very seamless, and every part of the song is well constructed, not only stand out individually, but dovetailing beautifully into the next section. Making music, sometimes, is a bit like putting together a puzzle. In the end, what really matters is the full picture, but you need to start with some well-crafted pieces in order for the connections to be very smooth and seamless. In other words, the sum of the parts is amazing, but only because each part is great to begin with!
From My Heart is an amazing introduction to Miho’s music, and a great sign of great things to come. One of the most striking songs on this release, “There Will Never Be Another You”, is a perfect example of Miho’s artistry, and a really good mood setter to lift up the dynamics of “From My Heart.”
The song “Lush Life” hits differently, with its sparse, yet articulate piano introduction. This track showcases Miho’s incredibly accomplish technique, but also her ability to understand intuitive musical timing and allow every pause to hold so much power and emotional weight. The silent moments are just as important as any note, and this song is a great showcase of this particular notion, ranging from sparse suspended chords, to swirling glissandos, later welcoming in a tastefully rhythm section. This release as a whole has the sound you’d expect from an amazing ’60s jazz album: it’s organic and more dynamic than most modern productions, allowing the wide range of these amazing musicians to really stand out, as well as highlighting the natural interplays between every instrument featured in the song mixes.
From My Heart is highly recommended if you enjoy the sound of artists as diverse as Chet Baker, Art Pepper, and Chick Corea, only to name a few.
