Toru Takemitsu - Garden Rain (2005 compilation of LPs released 1973 & 1975)

Nice charity shop find by a composer I'd been wanting to hear more of.  This CD gave the first international reissue to a pair of Japanese LPs from the mid-70s, which together offer a good cross-section of the different ways Takemitsu approached composing for a variety of instruments (as well as a bit of tape music) up to that time.

The "Minatur V" album from 1975 is placed first on the CD - possibly to avoid front-loading it with the most avant-garde music - and thus starts with the calm, accessible brass ensemble piece Garden Rain (1974).  This is contrasted next with earlier writing for string octet, Le Son Calligraphé (1958-60), showing Takemitsu's blend of Japanese and European composing styles already in place, as does Hika-Elegy (1966) for piano and violin.  A solo guitar suite, Folios, brings us back up to date for the mid-70s.  Love the way the guitar's been recorded here, as well as the fine rendition by Kiyoshi Shumara.

"Minatur II", originally released in 1973, is more of an adventure in sound, first pairing an oboe and sho for Distance (1972) then a flute that is sung into, spoken/growled into etc for Voice (1971).  From the same year, Stanza II blends the sound of a harp with concrete sounds and electronic tones on tape, making for an engrossing sonic highlight of the collection.  Lastly, Eucalypts I, a 1970 commission for the Zurich Colligeum Musicum, makes striking use of the resonant properties of the harp, oboe and strings, and Eucalypts II draws out the solo parts from the main work.

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Takemitsu at SGTG:

Asterism, Requiem, Green, The Dorian Horizon

November Steps

Rain Tree Sketch

Joni Mitchell - Mingus (1979)

Writing collaboration between an ailing Mingus, who died shortly before its completion, and Joni Mitchell at the height of her jazz era.  The stellar cast of musicians, based around Weather Report plus Herbie Hancock, is the perfect lineup to back Joni's vocals and minimalist, percussive acoustic guitar.

Out of six tunes Mingus sang into a tape recorder for Joni, three made the album, and a fourth is her sterling setting of Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.  The remaining two are credited solely to Mitchell, but carry the spark of inspiration from the collaboration, especially God Must Be A Boogie Man.  Interspersed between the songs are audio verité recordings provided by Mingus' wife Sue, providing an intimate window into the final years of his life.  One of the most underrated albums in the Joni Mitchell canon, and a fine tribute to a jazz legend.

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Joni Mitchell at SGTG:

Miles Of Aisles

Shadows And Light

Charles Mingus - Mingus Revisited (aka Pre-Bird) (1961)

...and SGTG revisited - hello again everyone.  Starting back up right where this blog left off as we're into Mingus' centenary year as of a few weeks ago, so perfect time to dive into his great catalogue afresh (all previous links below).  Today's album was originally titled Pre-Bird, on account of its music being composed prior to Mingus' exposure to Charlie Parker.  The LP featured a side of short but still intriguing pieces and a side of lengtheir tracks, the closing Half-Mast Inhibition rendered by a 22-piece ensemble conducted by Gunther Schuller.

In addition to his own writing, each original album side kicked off with an ingenious arrangement of two well-known contrasting melodies, based on similar harmonic material therefore ripe for interpolation.  We thus get Take The A Train combined with Exactly Like You to open the record, and later Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me against I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart.  Another highlight of the first side is the inclusion of two vocal pieces, Eclipse and Weird Nightmare, their off-beam and slightly unsettling melodies sung by the otherwise unknown Lorraine Cousins.  All in all, another pleasingly odd and very rewarding Mingus album.  Coming up later in the week - an end-of-life tribute to the great man, to continue marking his centenary.

"Pre-Bird" original LP cover, 1961

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Previously posted at SGTG:

East Coasting
Jazz Portraits: Mingus In Wonderland 

Mingus Ah Um & Mingus Dynasty 
Oh Yeah

Tijuana Moods
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady  
Mingus Plays Piano  
Let My Children Hear Music

Mingus Moves
Changes One & Two
Cumbia & Jazz Fusion
plus:  

The Quintet: Jazz At Massey Hall
Blue Moods  
Money Jungle  
BBC Proms Tribute by Metropole Orkest