On the Record: Riza Arshad

Artist : Riza Arshad
Album : Trioscapes (Ragadi Music)

Piano player Riza Arshad has been known as the brains behind the award-winning group Simak Dialog. Playing ethnic-tinged fusion, the group's early line-up included guitarist Tohpati, drummer Arie Ayunir and bass player Indro Hardjodikoro, and was dubbed the maverick of the Indonesian jazz scene.

The group's three albums Lukisan, Baur and Trance/Mission won praise for their exquisite mixture of European jazz with Indonesian traditional music. Trance/Mission won in 2002 the best jazz/contemporary jazz album award at the Indonesian equivalent of the Grammys, Anugerah Music Indonesia (AMI).

However, in Trioscape, Riza eschews all the style he had nurtured in Simak Dialog. On this album, recorded in between his day job with Simak Dialog, he returns to his roots, playing standard jazz with a fat-sounding Rhodes piano.

What we listen to is a piano player enjoying himself -- running 70 minutes overtime. -- M. Taufiqurrahman