JAZZ REVIEW : Keyboardist Keiko Matsui Adds Passion to New Age

Categorizing keyboardist Keiko Matsui’s music as New Age would be misleading. True, her recent album “Under Northern Lights” (MCA) seems preoccupied with ethereal landscapes and introspective musings, covering some of the same unchallenging terrain for which the genre is known. But her compositions go beyond the simplicity associated with New Age, building along logical lines and involving a passion missing from the usually aloof form.

This passion is less apparent on her recordings, but it appears in abundance during her live performances, as was witnessed by a near-capacity crowd at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Sunday when Matsui worked through a varied program of originals, more than once generating long, loud ovations.

Matsui has a good ear for orchestration and uses a variety of synth sounds to great effect. Her sense of dynamics has her operating at volumes ranging from a whisper to levels that would send Pete Townshend running for cover. She displays jazz, rock and classical influences as well as the lighter sounds of New Age. Her supporting unit was tight, aggressive and not afraid to step out on its own.

The opener, an impressionistic “Ruins of Sonora,” began with reverent pipe organ chords before rocking out on the power generated by drummer Tom Walsh. Matsui’s brief keyboard solo displayed her jazz chops, building quickly on rapid-fire block chords before the tune faded off into the ether.

The title cut from the album built on saxophonist Mike Acosta’s soprano theme while Matsui coaxed acoustic piano tones from her rack of electronics, giving the piece depth and color.

Husband Kazu Matsui added drama to “Ancient Wind” with a breathy intro on Japanese shakuhachi flute before joining in a duet with his spouse, who chose koto tones for the stately piece. A variety of ethnic influences appeared in “Light Above the Trees,” with guitarist Grant Giesman adding flamenco touches.

Matsui strapped on a shoulder-hung keyboard and moved to center stage for an unnamed blues piece that found her riffing like Jimmy Smith in places. Kazu (who said he would celebrate Independence Day by taking a turn on the number with his shakuhachi) wisely kept his solo brief, its delicacy contrasted with Acosta’s hard-edged alto lines. The saxophonist traded hot lines with the keyboardist, pushing her to run with him at searing speeds.

The evening’s only drawbacks were Acosta’s whiny, sometimes irritating tone on soprano and the fact that Matsui kept her solos so short, building quickly then jumping out. This woman should give herself more of a chance to stretch out.

Matsui was preceded by Windows (Skipper Wise on bass, Ed Cohen on keyboards, Derol Caracco on guitar and recent additions Tom Buckner on sax and John Mahon on drums), a group whose self-announced emphasis on melody was reflected in a number of uninspired easy-listening numbers with such titles as “Smiles” and “Night Whispers.”

The group’s best moments came during “Elbow Room,” which opened with an attempt to indulge the audience with hand-clapping but quickly moved into Caracco’s bluesy guitar solo and Buckner’s jazz-paced tenor excursion. This was followed by the bright, Caribbean-influenced “Freedom Dancing,” which featured Mahon’s tom-tom-heavy solo.