Dreaming Northern is the ninth album that pianist/composer, Masako, has recorded at Will Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios since 2011, and I predict it will add to the very impressive list of awards and nominations she has received for her music so far. Masako co-produced the album with Ackerman and Tom Eaton who also appear on guitar (Will), synthesizer and bass (Tom). Additional artists include Charlie Bisharat (violin), Vin Downes (guitar), Eugene Friesen (cello), Jeff Haynes (percussion), Michael Manring (bass), Jeff Oster (flugelhorn), Premik Russell Tubbs (EWI - electronic wind instrument) and Noah Wilding (vocals). The music was inspired by the time Masako spends in the northern woods of the eastern US as well as various events and experiences in her life.

Born in Japan, Masako started piano lessons at the age of four and began to compose at five. She performed classical, jazz and rock music and was the keyboardist in a band that played in popular clubs in and around Tokyo before moving to the US. Her extensive experience with many genres of music gives Masako a unique musical voice.

Dreaming Northern begins with "Mamabear Dreams," a gentle piano solo that reflects on motherhood while wondering what mother bears feel as they raise their offspring - a very sweet opener! After looking back on a lifestyle of juggling several things at once, Masako decided that she wants to live a life where she can enjoy doing things "One by One." Slow, dreamy and almost ambient, the instrumentation on this one is piano (Masako), synthesizers (Eaton) and flugelhorn (Oster) - very dreamy and atmospheric! "Our Bluebird Day" is a piece about days that go especially well and when people feel grateful for nature. The piano stays in the lead for most of the piece, which includes synth, cello, percussion, and EWI. Warm and optimistic, it's one of my favorites! "But It Is Life" is a gentle ensemble piece that features piano, guitar (Downes), synth, bass (Manring) and EWI. No one is the "star" in this track, but what a soothing beauty it is! As Masako was composing "Love Beyond," she felt strongly that Jeff Oster should play the theme - and he does on this lovely piece that also includes Ackerman on guitar and Noah Wilding's haunting vocals as well as Masako's piano - dreamy! "Stairs in the Sky" is a trio for piano, violin (Bisharat) and cello (Friesen) - upbeat with a beautifully gentle flowing quality. A piano solo, "My Old Abbey" reflects on a long-forgotten memory from Masako's youth that literally changed her life. The music is deeply expressive and heartfelt, as those kinds of remembrances always are. "Shape of the Clouds" is a piano solo with some atmospheric synth washes by Eaton that give the music a very ethereal quality. Also a piano solo, "Dancing in the Snow" gracefully describes the beauty and variety of forms of snow as well as the emotions snow evokes. The album closes with a piece co-composed with Eaton called "Agiochook," which translates as "The Place of the Great Spirit." The title refers to a mountain that Native Americans used to call Mount Washington and the piece is performed on synths (Eaton) and EWI (Tubbs) with Wilding's vocals - very ethereal and peaceful and a beautiful ending to a very special album. Brava!

Dreaming Northern is available on Amazon (CD or digital), Apple Music/iTunes, and many streaming sites including Pandora and Spotify. Very highly recommended!