Japanese Masterpieces for the Shakuhachi

The Masters of Meian-ryu, Kimpu-ryu, Tozan-ryu, and Kikusui-ryu - Japanese
Masterpieces for the Shakuhachi

* not the actual album cover above

From the liner notes:

Of all oriental instruments, the shakuhachi has the most fascinating background. the name itself means 1.8 Shaku (feet), the standard length, but others, from 1.4 to 3.3 ft., are also frequently used. It is as closely linked with Japanese history as the bagpipes are to Scotland's, or the lute and guitar to the Iberian peninsula. It is the only device that has served simultaneously as a musical instrument, as a weapon of defense, and a cover for spying.

Simple in construction, it is extremely intricate to play. It is made of bamboo with 3 or 4 joints, has 4 holes on the top and one on the back, and is played vertically, like a saxophone. It has no mouthpiece, and its half and quarter tones are produced by the control of fingers on the holes. It is presumed to have originated in ancient Egypt and to have migrated gradually through India and China. It was first used in Gagaku in the Sixth Century, but was abandoned when the dynasty fell. The revival came in the 13th Century with the rise of the fuke sect, a branch of Zen Buddhism, in which sutra chanting was replaced by the shakuhachi; many Fuke monks went on pilgrimages with shakuhachis, and bamboo baskets to hide their identity.

The tone of the shakuhachi is as mysterious and veiled as its history: its color changes from a shrill, penetrating high through a breathy middle to a mellow low that would do credit to the finest wood or gold flute. Its melodies exploit the tension of shaded intervals, sliding away from the true scale pitches controlled by the partial covering of the five finger-holes. By shifting the position of the open mouthpiece against the lips and changing his breath pressure, the player increases the instrument's basic pentatonic scale to wider ranged special modes. Sudden swells in the dynamics and a fast tremolo is part of the style, not unlike the quivering hand action of the "hot" trumpeter. According to Professor William Malm, author of 'Japanese Music and Musical Instruments' the pieces tend to be structured like rondos, a recurrent melody alternating with new material.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Koku {8:52}

2. Sekiheki no Fu {13:25}

Side 2

1. Matsukase {6:29}

2. Ajikan {6:13}

3. Oshusanya {6:59}

(1) or (1)