Art Hirahara, Peace Unknown Review

by Stamish Malcuss

Art Hirahara’s Peace Unknown is a vivid modern jazz program rooted in the rich history of jazz. Drawing on a lifetime of varied musical study, ranging from early improvisational training with unconventional classical mentors to immersion in West African, Balinese, and North Indian traditions, Hirahara has cultivated a jazz language that is both organic and architecturally precise. That balance comes to life in this septet setting, where horn textures, rhythmic design, and improvisational dialogue merge into a unified statement.

Joining Hirahara on Peace Unknown is a lineup of players whose individual voices are as distinct as their collective sound is cohesive. Trumpeter and flügelhornist Alex Sipiagin brings his signature warmth and commanding melodic sense, while tenor saxophonist Diego Rivera anchors the reed section with a full-bodied, storytelling approach. Alto saxophonist Patrick Cornelius adds agility and tonal clarity, with Markus Howell lending additional alto colors on select tracks. Michael Dease’s trombone provides lyricism and rhythmic punch, and bassist Boris Kozlov, a master of both grounded groove and counter-melodic invention, forms a deeply interactive rhythm team with drummer Rudy Royston, whose dynamic touch and boundless energy propel the ensemble. Together, they form a unit capable of moving seamlessly from intricate modern compositions to the unguarded immediacy of inspired improvisation.

The title track opens with Hirahara’s patient, unhurried solo piano, soon joined by a rubato horn melody shaped by Alex Sipiagin’s rounded, resonant tone. It’s a performance that models listening as much as playing, each phrase a cue for the ensemble to respond and evolve. The set quickly pivots to the sly, medium-slow swing of “Anonima,” where Monk-inspired asymmetry meets crisp, sectional horn work. Here, Hirahara’s solo is a study in melodic lines with intervallic voicing in a swing feel, buoyed by Boris Kozlov’s walking bass and Rudy Royston’s alert, responsive drumming.

“Irons In The Fire” showcases Hirahara’s compositional knack for form that has an evolving nature. Handing off material between trombone, trumpet, and reeds, with harmonic and rhythmic nudges from the piano. Sipiagin and Dease create a conversational front line followed by piano-and-reeds interplay that is particularly seamless. On “The More Things Change,” a big-band flavored head sets up a relaxed yet articulate round of solos with Diego Rivera’s muscular tenor, Dease’s lyrical trombone, and Patrick Cornelius’ agile alto, as Hirahara caps it with a solo that dances with joy and swing.

The ballad “Drawing With Light” is a high point of subtlety, its horn layers and counterpoint painting sonic pictures. The piano solo is tinged with European jazz lyricism. The mood is lightened by “Brooklyn Express,” a hard-bop sprint that channels the city’s restless pulse, with Sipiagin and Rivera each delivering inspired, forward-driving solos. “The Looking Glass” and “Father’s Song” explore the contemporary side of Hirahara’s spectrum. “Two Cubes” closes the set on a note of celebratory swing, the band trading ideas with wit and precision.

Throughout, Hirahara plays dual roles: as a pianist whose touch is as attuned to color as it is to line, and as a composer-arranger who can bind seven distinct voices into a single, flexible unit. The septet’s interplay feels alive, never scripted, even within carefully designed forms. Peace Unknown thrives in that space where jazz meets risk, where the ensemble’s cohesion leaves room for surprise, and where Hirahara’s vision turns a collection of sessions into an album with a singular identity.