| Moyo (Heart & Soul) |
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| Released | April 24, 2007 |
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| Recorded | September 12, 2006 - January 4, 2007 |
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| Studio |
- BH Studio, Los Angeles, California
- Bonayuma Recording Studio, New York, New York
- Bright Music Studios, Castle Rock, Colorado
- CSR Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Firehouse Studios, Pasadena, California
- MCJ Studios, Japan
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| Genre | Jazz, smooth jazz |
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| Length | 52:39 |
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| Label | Shout! Factory |
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| Producer | Keiko Matsui |
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Moyo (Heart & Soul) is the nineteenth studio album by jazz keyboardist Keiko Matsui, released in 2007 on Shout! Factory.[1][2] The album peaked at No. 4 on the US Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart.[3]
Critical reception
Brian Soergel of Jazz Times wrote "Keiko Matsui’s new project feels like it’s very much a new direction for the veteran artist, who made her debut 20 years ago and now blossoms with a new record label. The CD is also the first she’s produced by herself after her divorce from husband Kazu Matsui, who had produced her previous CDs. Keiko Matsui’s elegant acoustic piano melodies are still front and center (never more so than on the simply beautiful “When I Close My Eyes”), but much of the orchestral sweep of previous compositions has given way to an organic, less-is-more direction. She's also added a dash of world music, as she recorded Moyo (Swahili for “heart and soul”) on location with musicians in South Africa, the U.S. and her native Japan."[6]
AllMusic gave Moyo a 4/5 star rating.[4] Jeff Winbush of All About Jazz, in a 4/5 star review remarked, "All the familiar elements of Matsui's music are here. There's new age, world beat, light classical and contemporary jazz all presented in the East-meets-West fashion that has been a constant since she entered the scene with A Drop of Water. (Shout! Factory, 1987)...Moyo is a fascinating next step in Matsui's growth and advancement as a musician of depth, range, grace and talent."[5]
Tracklisting
| Title | Writer(s) |
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| 1. | "Moyo" | Keiko Matsui | 3:44 |
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| 2. | "A Great Romance" | Keiko Matsui | 4:05 |
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| 3. | "Into the Night" | Keiko Matsui | 4:27 |
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| 4. | "Caricias" | Keiko Matsui | 5:33 |
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| 5. | "An Evening in Gibraltar" | Keiko Matsui | 3:31 |
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| 6. | "When I Close My Eyes" | Keiko Matsui | 4:25 |
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| 7. | "After the Rain" | Keiko Matsui | 4:24 |
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| 8. | "Allure" | Keiko Matsui | 4:34 |
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| 9. | "Black River" | Keiko Matsui | 4:30 |
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| 10. | "Old Potch Road" | Keiko Matsui | 5:55 |
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| 11. | "Um Novo Dia" | Waldemar Bastos/Keiko Matsui | 4:12 |
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| 12. | "Marula" | Keiko Matsui | 3:19 |
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Personnel
- Adam Howard – trumpet
- Akira Jimbo – drums
- Colin Finnie – technical engineer
- Craig Burbidge – engineer
- Derek Nakamoto – arranger, programming, synthesizer
- Gary Stockdale – string arrangements
- Gerald Albright – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
- Grecco Buratto – Cavaquinho, acoustic guitar
- Hugh Masekela – trumpet
- Jeff Palo – producer
- Keiko Matsui – piano, producer
- Kevin DiBella – assistant engineer
- Kunle – electric guitar
- Lawrence Matshiza – electric guitar
- Lucas Senyatso – bass
- Paul Ferreiro – assistant engineer
- Paul Taylor – soprano saxophone
- Rev. Jasper Williams – engineer
- Richard Bona – arranger, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion, producer, programming, vocals, background vocals
- Rob Chiarelli – engineer, mixing
- Rob Watson – drums
- Robert Hadley – mastering
- Tlale Makhene – percussion
- Vivian Thulane – alto saxophone, saxophone
- Waldemar Bastos – vocals
References
- ^ Keiko Matsui - Moyo (Heart & Soul) (album). Shout! Factory. 2007.
- ^ Kasey-Wheeler, Katrina (2007-05-10). "Keiko Matsui: Heart & Soul article @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
- ^ "Top Contemporary Jazz Albums" (PDF). Billboard. May 12, 2007. p. 53. Retrieved September 7, 2025 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- ^ a b "Keiko Matsui - Moyo: Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ a b Winbush, Jeff (June 11, 2007). "Keiko Matsui: Moyo (Heart and Soul)". All About Jazz. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- ^ Soergel, Brian (June 1, 2007). "Keiko Matsui: Moyo". Jazz Times. Retrieved September 7, 2025.