The world 'transcendent” gets batted around a lot but when it fits so perfectly you have to go for it. Keiko Matsui's Soul Quest is transcendent and the title perfectly defines the content and the experience. She wants you to join her as she experiences her Soul Quest and at the same time send you on a journey of your own. This is one of those albums you can immerse yourself into, so textural and multifaceted you can just turn it on and let it take over. 

Her 25 years of recording have encompassed the entire fusion-contemporary-smooth spectrum with a bounty of creative twists and turns. She was one of the first to bring a chill influence and heavy dose of groove. Remember “Safari,” which still sounds as strong as it did when it came out over 15 years ago? She took some lovely progressive/chill excursions on albums like The Ring and Walls of Akendora and delivered uncompromised hook-laden singles that were often the saving grace during those long sets of pop vocals and covers that cluttered the radio format in its waning years. Here, she delivers the best of both worlds in musically diverse set of songs that showcase her artistry and her ability to use her mastery of technique to create mood and evoke emotion.

Take the advance track (I can't bring myself to use the word “single.” It just sounds so 20th century!) “Black Lion” which was inspired by a painting she saw in an eastern European restaurant that expressed a feeling of longing over lost love. There is an undercurrent of sadness here but guitarist Grecco Buratto's solo line adds a touch of funky brightness to Keiko's expressive melody line. “Moving Mountain,” a short soundscape she created with Narada Michael Walden evokes power and drama as she flies from the lowest to highest register of the instrument and Walden uses a toolbox of drum sounds to accentuate the spirit. This song is the prelude to my favorite song on the album, “Antarctica – A Call To Action,” which was inspired by the effects that warming has had on the Antarctic region and what that is doing to the global ecosystem. Majestic, powerful, and full of textural shifts, Marcus Miller's bass line is heavy and as sparse as an ice covered landscape and Kirk Whalum gives one of the best recorded performances I have ever heard on a recording. He completely cuts loose delivering a blistering fast paced solo that will take your breath away. Dynamic, funky and graceful, “Dream Seeker” opens the set and sets the mood, enhanced by Andy Snitzer's soprano sax line. Chuck Loeb plays the guitars here as well as sharing composition credits. He joins her on five of the ten tracks including an interesting set toward the end, “Proof” and “Two Hearts,” which have the jazzy urban vibe that could have been inspired by Loeb's current gig as Fourplay's guitarist. Then there is the joyous, trancey “Stingo,” her other collaboration with Walden - a danceable, fashionably trippy tribute to one of her favorite artists, Sting. It's got groove, beat and a very cool vocal chant that seems to be inspired by the infectious chorus of “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.”

This is one of those albums you need to experience all the way through. You could cherry-pick because every song is strong and every song is different, but the way the songs are sequenced enhances the effect so much. The parts are brilliant but they shine brighter when they become a constellation. This experience to be the Soul Quest that Keiko Matsui has created and is sharing with you. Listen all the way through and let it take you where it will.