Japanese piano sensation Hiromi takes stage at Blues Alley

She goes by Hiromi, the only identification needed for the Japanese wizard of the keyboard who holds forth at Blues Alley four evenings. Her award-winning gold albums showcase eclectic arrangements and compositions influenced by every musical genre that strikes her fancy. “Beyond Standard,” her latest CD, fuses jazz, classical, rock and avant-garde in such familiar compositions as “Clair De Lune,” “Caravan,” “My Favorite Things” and “I’ve Got Rhythm.” Her over-the-top energy propels each number on her five CDs and two Live in Concert DVDs to the outer limits.

“I always give everything I’ve got and I look for that in the musicians I work with,” she says. “I play each concert as if this is the very last I’ll ever give. Fate gave me the opportunity and I must not waste it, so I play my very best to thank the audience for being there.”

Hiromi refuses to put a name on her style. A child prodigy, she began studying classical piano at age five, but her world expanded at eight when her piano teacher introduced her to jazz. She credits that “very special” teacher, Noriko Hakita, with pointing her in a wide open direction. By 12, she knew that she wanted to be a professional musician and within two years she performed with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

It’s no coincidence that the influence of Chick Corea, along that of with Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Ahmad Jamal sings forth in her music. Upon meeting and hearing the 17-year-old in Tokyo during a tour, Corea invited her to play with him the next day. Their continuing friendship is evident on “Duet/Chick Corea and Hiromi,” recorded live at Tokyo Blue Note.

After several years spent writing jingles for Nissan and other Japanese companies, she began studies in earnest under Jamal at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Now only 26, she draws on energy wherever it exits. The energy inherent in classical works by Bach and Liszt is every bit as influential to her keyboard virtuosity as is that projected by powerful athletes like Michael Jordan.

Following “Another Mind,” her debut album of 2003, she has released “Brain,” “Spiral,” “Time Control” and “Beyond Standard.” Each is unique for intellectual pairing of swing, jazz, be-bop and rock influences and song titles that invite visual challenges. “Old castle, by the river, in the middle of the forest” appears in both “Spiral” and “Duet.” Like many of her original compositions, it was suggested by the places she visits on her non-stop tour of the world.

“I just finished a solo album that will be out next year,” she says. “It’s called ‘Places to Be’ and includes songs I’ve been writing while traveling. Since I travel throughout the year, I see many sights and landscapes that excite me. Even though I’m in a different city and different hotel every night, the second I see the audience smile, the difficulties fade away and I want to thank them for coming out.”