AKIKAZU NAKAMURA -COMPOSER, JAPANESE BAMBOO FLUTE PLAYER

Komusō shakuhachi no sekai: Kyōto no shakuhachi, Tsuru no sugomori

The world of Zen music: The shakuhachi of Kyoto, Tsuru no sugomori

(Japan Traditional Cultures Foundation, VZCG-8570/1,$54)

Released August 22, 2016

Komusō shakuhachi no sekai: Edo no shakuhachi, Kinko-ryū, Shika no tōne

The world of Zen music: The shakuhachi of Edo, Kinko school, Shika no tōne

(Japan Traditional Cultures Foundation,VZCG-784,$32)

Komusō shakuhachi no sekai: Kyōto no shakuhachi, Kokū

The world of Zen music: The shakuhachi of Kyoto, Kokū

The sixth release in the series of CDs by Akikazu Nakamura entitled “The world of Zen music”, two of which were awarded the Prize of Excellence in the record category at the annual Arts Festival sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. This album features mainly komusō shakuhachi pieces transmitted down the ages at the Myōanji temple in Kyoto and in the surrounding district where the Komusō sect was based. The pieces on this disc include Daha, in which exquisite changes in tone color appear in the context of severity and tension, and Shingetsu, a piece full of limpid tranquility. The recording quality on this disc is outstanding and makes the listener aware of how far the quality of digital redording has advanced thanks to the mastering by Tōru Kotetsu, a redording engineer with a reputation second to none.
(Japan Traditional Cultures Foundation, VZCG-680, $32)

Komusō shakuhachi no sekai: Kyōto no shakuhachi, Reibo

The world of Zen music: The shakuhachi of kyoto, Kokū

A disc featuring shakuhachi pieces handed down at Komusō temples in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures. It features the classic Tsuru no sugomori and other pieces with dense musical features that require intricate technical precision. (Victor, VSCG-610, $32)

Komusō shakuhachi no sekai: Hokuriku no shakuhachi, Sanya

The world of Zen music: The shakuhachi of the Hokuriku region, Sanya

This disc was awarded the Prize for Excellence in the record category at the 17th Arts Festival sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It features shakuhachi pieces handed down at Komusō temples in Niigata and Toyama and includes an on-site recording combining readings from the Buddhist sutras with komusō shakuhachi music unique to the Kokutaiji temple in Toyama prefecture.

Komusō shakuhachi no sekai: Kyūsyū no shakuhachi, Daibosatsu

A disc containing nine pieces handed down at Komusō temples in the Kyūsyū region including the magnificent large-scale piece Daibosatsu. (Columbia, COCJ-31519, $25)

Komusō shakuhachi no sekai: Tsugaru no shakuhachi, Nezasa-ha Kinpū-ryū

The world of Zen music: The shakuhachi of Tsugaru, Nezasa-ha Kinpū-ryū

This disc features the complete extant repertoire of the Nezasa-ha Kinpū-ryū lineage of shakuhachi performance with its unique technique handed down in the Tsugaru region of northern Japan. (Columbia, COCJ-30927, $25)

Komusō shakuhachi no sekai:　Saji

The world of Zen music: Saji

The disc that was awarded the Prize for excellence in the record category at the 1999 Arts Festival sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Columbia Golden Disc Prize. It features major works from the nationwide komusō repertoire. (Columbia, COCJ-30465, $25)

ZOOM

The first album released by Kokoo, a band consisting of one shakuhachi and two kotos.
(King, KICP681)

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super-nova

Kokoo’s second album features arrangements of well-known rock numbers made by ten leading arrangers.
(King, KICP716)

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moon

Kokoo’s maxi-single has a spiritual tone evoked by the singing in the manner of Jiuta.
(Maxell, MQCP-1)

tunecore

Neutral Point

When gaps are created in space and time as in a forest, both people and musical instruments are subject to the flow of wind, and the cosmos present within the human brain echoes in response to nature. The wind generated from Forest resounds on a neutral point.
(Zen Series, Vicor VICG-8026)

Members at the time of recording in 1991: Akikazu Nakamura (shakuhachi, computer), Kōki Itō (keyboads), Shunsuke Mizuno (5-string silent bass)