Miki Yamanaka & Mark Turner - Shades of Rainbow (2023)

Miki Yamanaka - "Tyrone Allen and Jimmy Macbride have been playing with me fairly often for the last few years. I had never felt this much comfort playing with other musicians before, in the sense of being truly me, feeling free. From having played regularly as a trio in New York, we developed a unique sound. One of the pianists I admire once said, “Have a band. Lately people tend to dismiss the importance of having a band, creating a certain sound together like all the masters used to do.” I didn’t quite understand what he meant then. But now I do! Tyrone and Jimmy make me feel like I can do anything.

Adding another voice in such a comfortable band could be tricky. It cannot be just someone who is killing. It has to be someone who is willing to be a part of the band. Mark Turner was kind enough to join me on my last record, Stairway To The Stars, which was recorded at my apartment during the pandemic. It was very casual - we played some tunes that we all like to play. Since then I got to make music with him a few other times. I got to hear him play my compositions as well - what a luxury! When I thought about recording a new project, I immediately thought of asking Mark to join us again. This time though, with a little tour beforehand!

This was my first time bringing my quartet on the road. I learned a lot from them on and off the bandstand. Each night the music became tighter and so did our friendship. We even had a movie night after a gig one night! I really hope you can hear us having a good time playing this music together. Feeling this close to other musicians and being able to make music with them is just a pure blessing. I am beyond grateful!".