SOMEI SATOH : Sun Moon (Akikazu Nakamura · Shin Miyashita) (1994) APE (image+.cue) lossless

With Sun/Moon, Somei Satoh speaks with the ancient, distinct voice of Buddha, with enough melodramatic romanticism to stir the emotions of even the most Western ears. Perhaps less cinematic than his previous album, Toward the Night, but no less passionate in tone, with gorgeous, rich dialogue between shakuhachi and koto that circulates between whispers, cries, gasps, and deep contemplation. The opening piece, "Kougetsu," is the sound of a rock garden minding its own business, a dragonfly dreaming restlessly amongst the bamboo. "Sanyou" follows in much the same way, in an expression of (as the composer puts it) "the purity of the early morning air." Shin Miyashita plucks his 17-string koto with patience, reverence, and in perfect symbiosis with Akikazu Nakamura, a stoic virtuoso on the shakuhachi. Nakamura was the first to use circular breathing with the instrument, and to great effect on the dynamic closing solo of "Kaze No Kyoku," where he both prowls within barely audible harmonics and at once opens the floodgates to the distressful chills of night. It is often Satoh's generous use of silence that gives this album such meditative weight -- a sense of patiently unfolding enlightenment. Consequently, song structure seems less prominent than the rich, extended phrasings that rise, fall, and rise again over the course of 44 minutes. The album closes as it began, as Nakamura once again breathes a pure, almost glass-like vapor of tone into the silence around it. Sun/Moon is a small treasure from New Albion Records worth finding. Keir Langley

Tracklist :
1    Kougetsu (Moon)    15:16
2    Sanyo (Sun)    18:11
3    Kaze No Kyoku (Wind)    10:25

Akikazu Nakamura : Shakuhachi
Shin Miyashita : Koto  

STEPHAN MICUS - Implosions (1977) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    As I Crossed A Bridge Of Dreams 20'53
Sitar [3 Sitars], Acoustic Guitar, Vocals [Vocal] – Stephan Micus
2    Borkenkind 6'45
Zither [3 Bavarian Zithers], Vocals [Vocal] – Stephan Micus
3    Amarchaj 5'16
Shakuhachi [4 Shakuhachi] – Stephan Micus
4    For The 'Beautiful Changing Child' 3'40
Sho [3 Sho], Flute [Thai Flute] – Stephan Micus
5    For M'schr And Djingis Khan 6'24
Rabab, Vocals [Vocal] – Stephan Micus

Composed By, Performer [Played By] – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - Koan (1977-1981) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Part I 2'36
Shakuhachi [Shakuhachi Solo] – Stephan Micus
2    Part II 11'59
Zither, Xylophone [Gender], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
3    Part III a 11'22
Sarangi, Shakuhachi, Rabab – Stephan Micus
4    Part III b 5'41
Rabab, Sarangi, Bodhrán [Bodhran], Angklung – Stephan Micus
5    Part IV 4'31
Bells [Kyeezee, Burmese Bells], Vocals [2 Vocal] – Stephan Micus
6    Part V 10'02
Zither, Guitar, Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus

Composed By, Performer [Played By] – Stephan Micus
Text By [Traditional Chinese Koan In Booklet]

STEPHAN MICUS - Listen to the Rain (1983) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

It's hard to tell whether to consider Micus a jazz, fusion, or new age performer and composer. He's a versatile musician who has used Bavarian, Japanese, Afghan, Irish, Spanish, North African, Indian, and Southeastern Asian instruments on different projects. There's some stunning music on this session, and it's certainly worth hearing; it's also probably not jazz. by Ron Wynn
Tracklist :
1    Dancing With The Morning 7'20
Steel Guitar [Steel String Guitar], Suling – Stephan Micus
2    Listen To The Rain 7'14
Tambura [Tamboura], Classical Guitar [Spanish Guitar] – Stephan Micus
3    White Paint On Silver Wood 8'37
Shakuhachi, Classical Guitar [Spanish Guitar] – Stephan Micus
4    For Abai And Togshan 20'05
Dilruba [3 Dilrubas / 5 Dilrubas], Classical Guitar [4 Spanish Guitar] – Stephan Micus

Composed By [Music Composed], Performer [Played By] – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - East of the Night (1985-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Included are two long fantasias for guitars and Japanese flutes.
Tracklist :
1    East Of The Night 25'25
Guitar [10 String], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
2    For Nobuko 22'10
Guitar [14 String Solo] – Stephan Micus

Composed By [Music Composed], Performer [Played By] – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - Ocean (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Ocean is a set of acoustic ambient performances from Stephan Micus. He uses exotic instruments and techniques that give this disc electronic timbre. He combines hammered dulcimers, sho, a shakuhachi, a ney, zithers, and vocals in a swirling sound design that absolutely shimmers. The natural sonorities of these devices create vast atmospheres with organic timbres. The soundscapes penetrate and enhance brainwave activity. This great CD will appeal to fans of Robert Rich, Klaus Wiese, and Riley Lee. Jim Brenholts
Tracklist :
1    Part I 7'58
Voice, Dulcimer [6 Hammered Dulcimers], Ney [Nay] – Stephan Micus
2    Part II 19'20
Sho [4 Sho], Shakuhachi, Zither [3 Bavarian Zithers], Dulcimer [2 Hammered Dulcimers] – Stephan Micus
3    Part III 15'46
Dulcimer [3 Hammered Dulcimers], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
4    Part IV 7'13
Sho, Soloist [Sho Solo] – Stephan Micus

Composed By [Music Composed], Performer [Played By] – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - Twilight Fields (1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Twilight Fields is a set of smooth, acoustic ambience from Stephan Micus, a master of the craft. He uses flutes, marimbas, xylophones, and ethnic percussion to generate this atmospheric experience. Each instrument has its own sonority and Micus uses a natural reverberation to strike an overtone appeal. His sound design has some remnants of dissonance and avant-garde tendencies, and, within that realm, Micus uses experimental techniques to forge space music properties with acoustic tools. This CD will appeal to fans of Riley Lee, Stan Richardson, Nawang Khechog, and R. Carlos Nakai. by Jim Brenholts
Tracklist :
1    Part 1 8'35
Dulcimer [Hammered], Zither [Bavarian], Shakuhachi, Performer [Flowerpots] – Stephan Micus
2    Part 2 8'00
Shakuhachi, Performer [Flowerpots] – Stephan Micus
3    Part 3 4'27
Performer [Flowerpots] – Stephan Micus
4    Part 4 10'00
Dulcimer [Hammered], Zither [Bavarian], Ney, Performer [Flowerpots] – Stephan Micus
5    Part 5 15'01
Zither [Bavarian], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus

Performer [Played By], Composed By – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - The Music of Stones (1989) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Continuing his musical quest across countries and cultures, Stephan Micus visits the Cathedral of Ulm, where Elmar Daucher has been sculpting and carving rocks of granite, marble, and basalt specifically for their acoustic potential. Such a curiosity, where Micus is involved, usually results in an album. The Music of Stones is indeed a curious and deep meditation -- a spotlight on the instruments as much as the music. It follows a formula similar to his album Twilight Fields, where tuned clay pots were the centerpiece. "Part 1" ebbs to life with a duet between one of these mythical stones that lays a rich harmonic drone for Micus to solo over with his staple instrument, the shakuhachi. "Part 2" shows off more percussive qualities by having two players with mallets on a single stone, though the novelty of it wears thin and becomes the one passage that breaks the spell. A tin whistle flutters around three stone chimes for "Part 3," and the harmonics attained in this and in "Part 4" sound like a Gamelan of gongs, bowls, kalimbas, mbiras...anything but the Swedish black granite actually responsible. There were no overdubs on the album, so the occasional church bells are heard far off in the background to provide an additional element of unscripted ambience. "Part 6" is enchanting in this regard, along with being the only track to feature vocals (from fellow "rocker" Gunther Federer). It makes a fitting lullaby of prayer to close out the album. Like most Stephan Micus albums, this is not world music, but certainly music from some foreign place within this world. You still can't get blood from a stone, but Daucher and Micus can certainly get life out of one.  by Glenn Swan  
Tracklist :
The Music Of Stones - Compositions By Stephan Micus For The Resonating Stones Of Elmar Daucher
1 Part 1 [Resonating Stone, Shakuhachi] 13:29
Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
2 Part 2 [1 Resonating Stone, Two Players] 5:24
Percussion [Resonating Stone] – Stephan Micus
3 Part 3 [Tin Whistle,3 Stone Chimes] 5:04
Tin Whistle – Stephan Micus
4 Part 4 [Solo for 3 Resonating Stones] 11:55
Stephan Micus 
5 Part 5 [Shakuhachi Solo] 6:29
Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus 
6 Part 6 [4 Resonating Stones, Voice] 8:47
Percussion [Resonating Stone], Voice – Stephan Micus
Credits :
Composed By, Producer – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - Athos (A Journey To The Holy Mountain) (1994) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist :
1    On The Way 4'57
Zither [Bavarian], Strings [Sattar] – Stephan Micus
2    The First Night 5'35
Voice [22 Voices] – Stephan Micus
3    The First Day 6'38
Shakuhachi, Soloist – Stephan Micus
4    The Second Night 4'47
Voice [22 Voices] – Stephan Micus
5    The Second Day 3'32
Suling, Percussion [22 Flowerpots] – Stephan Micus
6    The Third Night 6'19
Voice [22 Voices] – Stephan Micus
7    The Third Day 5'55
Ney [Nay], Soloist – Stephan Micus
8    On The Way Back 8'58
Zither [Bavarian], Strings [Sattar], Voice [11 Voices] – Stephan Micus

Composed By, Performer – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - The Garden of Mirrors (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Stephan Micus is an eclectic performer. He builds esoteric walls of sound with offbeat ethnic instruments and devices. The Garden of Mirrors is a set of gentle pieces constructed largely around acoustic sounds and simple percussion. Wordless chants carry the strange atmospheres to the edges of reality. At those distant points Micus shines. Such is the stature of an experimental artist. Just when Micus seems to be as far out as he can go, he stretches the limits some more. These delightful soundscapes waver between world fusion and avant-garde. There is not a lot of dissonance. This disc will appeal to fans of Terry Riley, Alvin Curran, Polly Moller, and Jocelyn Pook. by Jim Brenholts
Tracklist :
1    Part 1: Earth 6'24
Harp [Bolombatto], Voice [20 Voices] – Stephan Micus
2    Part 2: Passing Cloud 5'13
Steel Drums [4 Steel Drums], Harp [Sinding], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
3    Part 3: Violeta 6'42
Harp [Sinding], Voice [20 Voices], Harp [7 Bowed Sinding] – Stephan Micus
4    Part 4: Flowers In Chaos 4'36
Suling [22 Suling] – Stephan Micus
5    Part 5: In The High Valleys 5'07
Harp [Sinding], Voice – Stephan Micus
6    Part 6: Gates Of Fire 6'08
Percussion, Steel Drums [2 Steel Drums], Harp [Bowed Sinding], Shakuhachi [5 Shakuhachi], Ney [4 Nay], Tin Whistle [3 Tin Whistles], Harp [Sinding] – Stephan Micus
7    Part 7: Mad Bird 3'30
Tin Whistle [Tin Whistle Solo] – Stephan Micus
8    Part 8: Night Circles 7'38
Harp [Sinding], Voice [20 Voices] – Stephan Micus
9    Part 9: Words Of Truth 5'13
Shakuhachi [6 Shakuhachi] – Stephan Micus
Composed By, Performer – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - Desert Poems (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    The Horses Of Nizami 3'36
Sarangi, Talking Drum [5 Dondon], Voice [23 Voices] – Stephan Micus
2    Adela 5'43
Dilruba [22 Dilruba] – Stephan Micus
3    Night 2'48
Ngoni [Doussn' Gouni Solo] – Stephan Micus
4    Mikhail's Dream 8'20
Kalimba [2 Kalimba], Voice, Harp [Sinding], Steel Drums [2 Steel Drums], Percussion – Stephan Micus
5    First Snow 4'57
Shakuhachi [Shakuhachi Solo] – Stephan Micus
6    Thirteen Eagles 5'35
Ngoni [Doussn' Gouni], Ney [20 Nay] – Stephan Micus
7    Contessa Entellina 4'29
Voice [Voice Solo] – Stephan Micus
Text By [Poems "Contessa Entellina", "For Yuko"] – Stephan Micus
8        Shen Khar Venakhi 2'44
Dilruba [6 Dilruba], Strings [Sattar] – Stephan Micus
Traditional Georgian Chant (C. 1250)
Arranged By – Stephan Micus
9    For Yuko 8'11
Percussion [2 Flowerpots], Voice [8 Voices], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
Credits :
Composed By – Stephan Micus  
Text By [Poem] – Rumi

STEPHAN MICUS - Towards the Wind (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Being a perpetual student, Stephan Micus usually makes world music by default. He breathes patience and skill into the exotic instruments he uncovers, but certainly with respectful bending of the rules along the way. Towards the Wind follows in the same exploratory tradition -- educated, but unassuming as to the nature of what an instrument is "supposed to do." Here, the album evokes an easily digestible cross section of Middle Eastern mysticism -- swirling sand dunes, rust-colored sunsets, and sacred spaces. The opening passage, "Before Sunrise," shines the spotlight on the bass duduk, an Armenian reed instrument that's typically left to accompany another soloing duduk. Left to his own devices, however, Micus coaxes some pleasant baritones out of the woodwind. Later, he unveils a 14-string guitar of his own design, which he strums in a mildly Spanish direction ("Virgen de la Nieve"). Rounding out the ensemble is a kalimba, a Chinese sattar, and a talking drum from Ghana. Rarely without his shakuhachi, the German-born composer also has his favorite Japanese flute handy for three of the eight selections on this CD. The aforementioned instruments all get a little solo time (or even an entire song), creating a global melting pot that listeners have come to expect from this composer. Only once do those expectations struggle to stay met, and it comes by way of "Eastern Princess," which almost flirts with folk-pop Americana of the 1970s -- a steel-string guitar strums quite unmysteriously through the Rocky Mountains, although accompanied by a very curious language he sings, threaded together by syllabication rather than any known meaning (check the final piece to his Music of Stones from 1989). As for the featured double-reed centerpiece, it was after hearing some recordings of Jivan Gasparian (a virtuoso on the duduk) that Micus sought him out in Armenia to be his teacher. Gasparian obliged, and it is through his influence that much of the soloing on Towards the Wind stays airborne. Indeed, Micus describes this instrument as the shakuhachi's "twin" in terms of its breathy qualities and expressiveness. Although he constantly acquires new sounds, his confidence as a musician stays intact. What results is an album of modest beauty -- noteworthy because of the instruments and the performer more than the compositions themselves. by Glenn Swan
Tracklist :
1    Part 1 - Before Sunrise 3'33
Duduk [Bass Duduk] – Stephan Micus
2    Part 2 - Morning Breeze 2'16
Kalimba – Stephan Micus
3    Part 3 - Flying Horses 8'48
Guitar [3 Steel-String Guitars], Shakuhachi, Talking Drum [12, Dondon] – Stephan Micus
4    Part 4 - Padre 3'56
Duduk – Stephan Micus
5    Part 5 - Birds Of Dawn 7'35
Kalimba [2 Kalimba], Duduk, Shakuhachi [6 Shakuhachi], Talking Drum [3, Dondon], Strings [2 Sattar] – Stephan Micus
6    Part 6 - Virgen De La Nieve 5'29
Guitar [14-String Guitar] – Stephan Micus
7    Part 7 - Eastern Princess 8'46
Guitar [Steel-String Guitar], Voice – Stephan Micus
8    Part 8 - Crossing Dark Rivers 10'32
Guitar [14-String Guitar], Duduk [7 Duduk], Shakuhachi [3 Shakuhachi] – Stephan Micus
Credits :
Composed By, Performer – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - On the Wing (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Stephan Micus' folk soundworld investigations have taken him all over the globe. He is a disciplined student of every musical instrument he encounters, and understands how to get what he needs out of them without comprising either the instrument's original purpose or history, or his own vision, and he lets the instruments (sometimes in strange combinations) speak for themselves from his inner well of inspiration and nearly egoless expression. For those interested in poetry, Micus does in his world of music what poet and translator Jerome Rothenberg (who has compiled countless important anthologies of poetic traditions from all over the modern and ancient world) does for the written and oral tradition in poetry: represents it for what it is and allows the reader/listener to experience it for themselves. The stark beauty of On the Wing is expressed by Micus using Middle Eastern and Asian instruments, from the Iraqi mudbedsh (a single reed instrument made from cane) to the long-necked and bowed Turkish sattar and the Egyptian nay. In addition, he uses the reed flute of the Balinese gamelan orchestras called the suling, the Japanese harmonica known as the sho, the double-reeded hné from Burma, the shakuhachi, sitar, the hang from the Caribbean (a new percussion instrument) and his own 14-string guitar that is able, in its various stringing formations, to create the tonalities of a sitar or other overtone instrument. The beautiful thing about On the Wing is the way Micus combines instruments, or uses them solo: his investigations never come off as academic. They are full of quiet soul and deep mysterious power. His pieces are in their own ways, songs more than improvisations, capable of being remembered after hearing them only once. His traditional excellence is everywhere here, but his lyrical sense is perhaps more defined and important than ever.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    On The Wing 3'19
Strings [2 Sattar], Reeds [Mudbesh] – Stephan Micus
2    Winterlight 5'10
Strings [3 Sattar] – Stephan Micus
3    Gazelle 3'35
Classical Guitar, Ney [Nay] – Stephan Micus
4    Blossoms In The Wind 4'33
Strings [2 Sattar], Sho, Reeds [3 Hné], Suling [2 Suling] – Stephan Micus
5    The Bride 6'25
Cymbal [Tibetan Cymbals], Gong [Korean Gong], Gong [Burmese Gong], Percussion [3 Hang], Guitar [14-String Guitar], Guitar [Steel String Guitar], Reeds [Mudbesh], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
6    Ancient Trees 5'16
Shakuhachi [6 Shakuhachi], Strings [2 Sattar], Strings [4 Mandobahar] – Stephan Micus
7    In The Dancing Snow 5'05
Strings [3 Sattar], Reeds [Mudbesh] – Stephan Micus
8    The Gate 4'17
Sitar [Sitar Solo] – Stephan Micus
9    Turquoise Fields 7'03
Guitar [2 Steel String Guitars], Reeds [3 Hné], Suling [2 Suling], Strings [3 Sattar], Ney [3 Nay] – Stephan Micus
10    Morning Sky 3'17
Reeds [5 Hné] – Stephan Micus
Credits :
Composed By, Performer – Stephan Micus

STEPHAN MICUS - Bold As Light (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Rain 4'00
Pipe [6 Raj Nplaim] – Stephan Micus
2    Spring Dance 4'52
Zither [Bass Zither], Zither [Chord Zither], Zither [Bavarian Zither], Concert Flute [Nohkan] – Stephan Micus
3    Flying Swans 6'01
Sho, Voice [17 Voices] – Stephan Micus
4    Wide River 3'46
Pipe [4 Raj Nplaim] – Stephan Micus
5    Autumn Dance 3'20
Concert Flute [Nohkan Solo] – Stephan Micus
6    Golden Ginkgo Tree 5'29
Kalimba, Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
7    The Shrine 4'38
Pipe [6 Raj Nplaim], Voice [15 Voices] – Stephan Micus
8    Winter Dance 4'50
Zither [Bass Zither], Zither [Chord Zither], Zither [Bavarian Zither], Concert Flute [Nohkan] – Stephan Micus
9    The Child 4'45
Pipe [8 Raj Nplaim], Harp [Sinding] – Stephan Micus
10    Seven Roses 6'30
Sho, Voice [19 Voices], Pipe [Raj Nplaim] – Stephan Micus
Credits :
Composed By, Performer – Stephan Micus
Text By [Text In Booklet] – Leo Tolstoy

STEPHAN MICUS - Nomad Songs (2015) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    Part 1 - Everywhere, Nowhere 4'40
Kalimba [Ndingo], Flute [Genbri] – Stephan Micus
2    Part 2 - Leila 5'27
Guitar [Steel-String Guitar], Suling – Stephan Micus
3    Part 3 - The Promise 8'19
Flute [Genbri], Ney [Nay], Lute [Rewab], Rabab – Stephan Micus
4    Part 4 - The Stars 2'47
Twelve-String Guitar [Twelve-String Guitar Solo] – Stephan Micus
5    Part 5 - The Spring 2'54
Kalimba [Ndingo], Flute [Genbri] – Stephan Micus
6    Part 6 - The Blessing 4'30
Voice [Voice Solo] – Stephan Micus
7    Part 7 - The Feast 5'04
Guitar [2 Fourteen-String Guitars], Guitar [Steel-String Guitar], Ney [Nay] – Stephan Micus
8    Part 8 - Laughing At Thunder 4'21
Flute [5 Genbri] – Stephan Micus
9    Part 9 - Sea Of Grass 5'01
Tin Whistle [2 Tin Whistles (One Player)] – Stephan Micus
10    Part 10 - The Dance 6'12
Twelve-String Guitar, Lute [Rewab], Rabab, Flute [Genbri], Guitar [2 Steel-String Guitars] – Stephan Micus
11    Part 11 - Under The Chinar Trees 6'42
Kalimba [3 Ndingo], Shakuhachi, Voice – Stephan Micus
Credits :
Composed By [All Music And Voices Composed By], Performer [All Music And Voices Performed By] – Stephan Micus
Text By [Quote In Booklet] – Khalil Gibran

STEPHAN MICUS - Inland Sea (2017) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If there's one constant in Stephan Micus' vocational life, it's his attempt to capture what he does inside a category. His longtime label ECM understands this; he is the only artist in its stable who has a totally free hand. He is not produced by Manfred Eicher, records in his own studio, and releases records when he wishes. Micus makes music from what he doesn’t already know: He is a traveler, literally and creatively. He visits places across the globe -- often sparsely inhabited ones -- studies their musical traditions and instruments, learns to play them (sometimes from lineage masters), then repurposes them. He often juxtaposes them with other instruments that were never meant to be played together and multi-tracks according to an interior logic. Micus often adds singing and chanting in self-created languages. When these pieces are assembled, they create a timeless music that sounds simultaneously ancient and contemporary.

Inland Sea is his 22nd album. Its title reflects that this music was developed by using the physical world to journey to an inner one. Its central instrument is the nykelharpa, a keyed fiddle from the Swedish folk tradition. It marks the first time he has ever used a bowed instrument that is not Asian in heritage. Micus doesn't play it in its intended manner. With keys over strings -- somewhat like a hurdy gurdy -- it's usually played with a short bow for rhythmic purposes to accompany dances. Micus uses a much longer bow to hold it upright, playing it like a cello in some cases, striking and plucking at its strings in others, and overdubbing these processes. On "Haze," he uses it in conjunction with another first-time instrument, the plucked-string balanzikom that he brought back from a mountainous valley between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. While sounding otherworldly, it offers a trace of familiarity: his bowing technique suggests the Baroque cello. The balanzikom (with fishing nylon for strings) is used to startling effect on "Flor del Sur," with a deep rumbling rawness fueling his rich yet arid singing. These aren't the only instruments Micus plays here; shakuhachi flute, Moroccan genbri, guitars, and two self-designed ones -- a chord zither and a bass zither whose strings are over three feet long -- are also used. Rhythms are generated by the noisy keys of the nykelharpa, which can be heard with brooding intensity on "Dancing Clouds" with the guitars, chord zithers, and bowed instrument woven into an atmosphere that suggests a coming storm. Closer "Nuria" (a Catalan girls' name taken from the Virgin of Núria) uses the nykelharpa as a deftly syncopated rhythm section, buoying not only Micus' voice but the shakuhachi as well, which offers an approach to the sacred by means of the secular. ECM's press release accurately states that there is no musician like Micus; so is the notion that there is no music like his. Inland Sea is another deep dive into sound. While Micus' discipline is rigorous, the listening offers only abundant pleasure.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    Haze 4'53
Lute [Balanzikom], Nyckelharpa – Stephan Micus
2    Sowing Wind 4'25
Zither [2 Chord Zithers], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
3    Dawn 4'00
Nyckelharpa [3 Nyckelharpa] – Stephan Micus
4    Flor Del Sur 7'14
Lute [Balanzikom], Voice – Stephan Micus
5    Reaping Storm 3'48
Zither [Bass Zither], Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
6    Dancing Clouds 7'31
Nyckelharpa [Plucked Nyckelharpa], Nyckelharpa [6 Percussive Nyckelharpa], Nyckelharpa [3 Bowed Nyckelharpa], Guitar [Steel String Guitar], Guimbri [Genbri], Zither [Bass Zither] – Stephan Micus
7    Virgen De La Mar 4'56
Guimbri [3 Genbri], Voice [16 Voices] – Stephan Micus
8    For Shirin And Khosru 6'37
Zither [2 Bass Zithers], Nyckelharpa [2 Nyckelharpa], Guitar [2 Steel String Guitars], Guimbri [Genbri] – Stephan Micus
9    Dusk 4'42
Nyckelharpa [2 Nyckelharpa] – Stephan Micus
10    Nuria 5'49
Nyckelharpa [5 Percussive Nyckelharpa], Zither [Chord Zither], Voice, Shakuhachi – Stephan Micus
Credits :
Composed By [All Music And Voices Composed By], Performer [All Music And Voices Performed By] – Stephan Micus

YO-YO MA & THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE - Silk Road Journeys Beyond The Horizon (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Continuing their explorations on Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet, Yo-Yo Ma and the Silkroad Ensemble go even deeper into cross-cultural studies on this 2005 soundtrack album. Produced for a 10-part series on Japan's NHK television network, the CD's 15 tracks are arranged in three suites, entitled Enchantment, Origins, and New Beginnings, more reflective of inherent musical affinities than of the way the music was used in the program. The musicians tap into the variously overlapping musical styles of lands stretching from China and India to Iran and Turkey, and the arrangements by Zhao Jiping and Zhao Lin include a mix of instruments from around the world, to add greater color and sonic dimensions. The album's exotic and meditative qualities may attract fans of both international and new age music, though there is perhaps little crossover appeal for Ma's classical devotees. Due to the group's cohesion and spirit of cooperation, solos are fairly evenly distributed, and Ma stands out no more or less than the other players. Indeed, kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor and vocalist Alim Qasimov have greater prominence, and it may even be said that tabla master Sandeep Das steals the show. Sony's sound quality is satisfactory, though a little soft in places. by Blair Sanderson 

Tracklist:
    Enchantment
1    Mohini (Enchantment) 1:47
Arranged By – Ljova
Written-By – Indrajit Dey, Sandeep Das
2    Oasis    3:00
3    Distant Green Valley 7:06
Written-By – Zhao Jiping, Zhao Lin
4    Akhalqalaqi Dance 1:22
Arranged By – Gevorg Dabaghyan
Written-By – Georgian/Armenian Traditional
5    Echoes Of A Lost City 1:18
Written-By – Zhao Jiping
Origins
6    Mountains Are Far Away 6:09
Arranged By – Ljova
Written-By – Kayhan Kalhor
7    Yanzi (Swallow Song) 3:25
Arranged By – Zhao Lin
Written-By – Kazakh/Chinese Traditional
8    Battle Remembered 4:00
Arranged By – Zhao Lin
9    Summer In The High Grassland 4:37
Written-By – Zhao Jiping
New Beginnings
10    Kor Arab 4:08
Written-By – Fikret Amirov
11    Shikasta (Minstrel's Song) 1:48
Lyrics By – Mammad Ordubadi
Written-By – Uzeyir Hajibeyov
12    Night At The Caravanserai 7:56
Arranged By – Shane Shanahan
Written-By – Turkish Traditional
13    Gallop Of A Thousand Horses 5:07
Written-By – Kayhan Kalhor
14    Tarang (Currents) 6:27
Written-By – Sandeep Das
15    Sacred Cloud Music 5:30
Written-By – Zhao Jiping
Credits:
Bass – DaXun Zhang (tracks: 1 to 3, 6, 8, 10 to 14)
Bells [Indian Footbells] – Shane Shanahan (tracks: 2)
Bongos – Mark Suter (tracks: 14)
Caxixi – Joel Fan (tracks: 14), Shane Shanahan (tracks: 9)
Cello – Jason Duckles (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 13), Yo-Yo Ma (tracks: 1, 3, 5 to 15)
Chimes – Mark Suter (tracks: 1)
Conductor – Alan Pierson (tracks: 1, 3, 8)
Djembe – Shane Shanahan (tracks: 4, 8, 9)
Drum [Ocean Drum] – Shane Shanahan (tracks: 3, 14)
Duduk – Gevorg Dabaghyan (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 8)
Finger Cymbals – Joel Fan (tracks: 12), Mark Suter (tracks: 8), Shane Shanahan (tracks: 3)
Goblet Drum [Dumbek] – Joseph Gramley (tracks: 14), Mark Suter (tracks: 8, 12), Shane Shanahan (tracks: 12)
Goblet Drum [Tombak] – Mark Suter (tracks: 9 to 11), Siamak Aghaei (tracks: 13)
Harp – Gulia Mashurova (tracks: 1, 3, 8)
Kanjira – Shane Shanahan (tracks: 2, 10, 11)
Ney – Siamak Jahangiry (tracks: 1, 6, 12)
Pandeiro – Mark Suter (tracks: 2)
Performer [Bawu] – Wu Tong (tracks: 2)
Performer [Daf] – Alim Qasimov (tracks: 10, 11)
Performer [Hadjira] – Shane Shanahan (tracks: 14)
Performer [Kamancheh] – Kayhan Kalhor (tracks: 3, 6, 13), Rauf Islamov (tracks: 10, 11)
Performer [Riq] – Mark Suter (tracks: 12), Shane Shanahan (tracks: 6)
Performer [Santur] – Siamak Aghaei (tracks: 3, 6)
Performer [Xun] – Wu Tong (tracks: 5)
Piano – Joel Fan (tracks: 3, 6), Wu Man (tracks: 8)
Pipa – Wu Man (tracks: 1 to 3, 12, 15)
Rattle – Joel Fan (tracks: 2), Mark Suter (tracks: 1), Shane Shanahan (tracks: 9)
Sarangi – Fakhruddin Dholpuri (tracks: 1)
Shaker – Shane Shanahan (tracks: 12)
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki (tracks: 1, 12)
Sheng – Wu Tong (tracks: 2, 3, 12)
Tabla – Sandeep Das (tracks: 1, 3, 8, 9, 14)
Tar (lute) – Malik Mansurov (tracks: 10, 11)
Udu – Mark Suter (tracks: 3, 6)
Vibraphone, Singing Bowls [Tibetan Prayer Bowls], Tam-tam, Bells [Knocking Bells], Cymbal [Suspended], Triangle, Crotales, Performer [Flower Pot] – Joseph Gramley (tracks: 1)
Viola – Ljova (tracks: 1 to 3, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14), Max Mandel (tracks: 3, 6, 13, 15), Nicholas Cords (tracks: 6, 12, 13)
Violin – Colin Jacobsen (tracks: 1 to 3, 6, 8, 10 to 15), Jonathan Gandelsman (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 10 to 15)
Vocals – Alim Qasimov (tracks: 1, 10 to 12), Nilanjana Dey (tracks: 1), Wu Tong (tracks: 7)

YO-YO MA & THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE - A Playlist Without Borders (2013) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Ensemble has continued to develop its intercultural ways, exploring those along the trade routes (maritime as well as land-based) that stretched for centuries from the Mediterranean world to China and even beyond. (The Silk Road brought Indian culture and later the Islamic faith to Indonesia, and one hopes that the group might someday take up that musically fascinating one, so well suited to its syncretic way of thinking.) Ma has had the pleasure of seeing his creation gradually become more independent; he appears on several pieces but takes a starring role only once or twice. Generally, he leaves the spotlight to the young players of the Silkroad Ensemble, whose trademark combination of enthusiasm and precision is on full display throughout. Sample the incredible intensity in the final "Briel," taken from John Zorn's Caym: Book of Angels XVII, originally performed by Cyro Baptista & Banquest of the Spirits, and further arranged by the ensemble itself. The program includes a general mix that typifies the group's genre- and border-crossing ways, with highlights including a suite by MacArthur "Genius Grant" winner Vijay Iyer and the Central Asian gypsy jazz of David Bruce's "Cut the Rug." by James Manheim
Tracklist:
    Playlist For An Extreme Occasion
Cello – Mike Block
Composed By – Vijay Iyer
Percussion – Joseph Gramley, Shane Shanahan
Piano, Bagpipes [Gaita] – Cristina Pato
Sheng – Wu Tong
Tabla – Sandeep Das
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Johnny Gandelsman
1    Part Zero    1:33
2    Part One    1:53
3    Part Two    3:38
4    Part Three    2:06
5    Part Four    2:30
6    Part Five    3:02
7    Cristina's Interlude    0:37
8    Part Six    2:42
9    Night Thoughts 6:14
Arranged By – Dong-Won Kim, Kojiro Umezaki, Wu Man
Composed By – Wu Man
Janggu [Jang-Go] – Dong-Won Kim
Pipa – Wu Man
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
10    Saidi Swing 7:30
Composed By – Shane Shanahan
Percussion – Joseph Gramley, Mark Suter, Shane Shanahan
Tabla – Sandeep Das
11    Allegretto From Partita, Op. 31, For Cello Solo 3:34
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Composed By – Ahmed Adnan Saygun
12    Atashgah 14:01
Bass – Jeffrey Beecher
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Composed By – Colin Jacobsen
Percussion – Shane Shanahan
Performer [Kamancheh] – Kayhan Kalhor
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen, Johnny Gandelsman
Cut The Rug
Accordion – Patrick Farrell
Bass – Jeffrey Beecher
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Clarinet – Kinan Azmeh
Composed By – David Bruce
Percussion – Joseph Gramley, Mark Suter, Shane Shanahan
Performer [Kamancheh] – Kayhan Kalhor
Pipa – Wu Man
Tabla – Sandeep Das
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen, Johnny Gandelsman
13    Drag The Goat    5:13
14    Bury The Hatchet    5:35
15    Move The Earth    9:31
16    Wake The Dead    3:04
17    Briel 3:57
Bagpipes [Gaita] – Cristina Pato
Bass – Jeffrey Beecher
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Composed By – John Zorn
Ney – Siamak Jahangiry
Oud, Guimbri [Gimbri], Castanets [Qarqaba] – Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz
Percussion – Mark Suter, Shane Shanahan
Pipa – Wu Man
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Tabla – Sandeep Das
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen, Johnny Gandelsman
Vocals, Sheng – Wu Tong

YO-YO MA & THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE - Sing Me Home (2016) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The potential buyer encountering this release by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silkroad Ensemble is apt to form several mistaken impressions of its contents. From the track list and accompanying description you will learn that it is "the companion album to the Morgan Neville documentary The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble." And the long list of "featured" artists suggests the type of lazy, all-star album famous artists tend to phone in during the later stages of their careers. Neither of these impressions corresponds with the considerable riches here. The music is entirely effective independently of the little-publicized film. And, more importantly, the real "featured artists" here are not the named stars (who skew toward younger members of the new acoustic scene like bluegrasser Sarah Jarosz), but the members of the Silkroad Ensemble themselves. The structure of the album, as with so many of the creations of these remarkable artists, is unique. The Silkroad members, and a few visitors, select music of personal significance to them, many of them related in a general way to the theme of home. Then, a guest musician with skills appropriate to the music was added. With a range of source material running from Heart and Soul to Mali to the Balkans to East Asia, the resulting fusions are never less than interesting and are often marvelous. Sample the much-recorded St. James Infirmary Blues (track 11) in its unique realization here with accordionist Michael Ward Bergeman (one of the guest Silkroaders), Chinese yangqin player Reylon Yount, and the wonderful blues-country vocalist Rhiannon Giddens, a border crosser herself. The album gives insights into the histories of the Silkroad players, and indeed into the musical and personal depth that has made this ensemble one for the ages, and its leader a true musical exemplar of our time. by James Manheim  
Tracklist:
1    Green (Vincent's Tune)
Arranged By – Johnny Gandelsman, Ljova
Bass – Shawn Conley
Bass Drum, Caxixi – Shane Shanahan
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Drum [Flower Pot] – Joseph Gramley
Featuring, Vocals – Roomful Of Teeth
Gong [Beijing Opera, Wind] – Haruka Fujii
Kamancha [Kamancheh, Shah-Kaman] – Kayhan Kalhor
Pipa – Wu Man
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Sheng, Suona, Flute [Bawu], Vocals – Wu Tong
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen, Johnny Gandelsman
Written-By – Wu Man
2    O'Neill's Cavalry March
Arranged By – Colin Jacobsen
Bass – Shawn Conley
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Featuring, Fiddle [Irish] – Martin Hayes
Kamancha [Kamancheh] – Kayhan Kalhor
Pipa – Wu Man
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen
Written-By – Traditional Irish
3    Little Birdie
Arranged By – Colin Jacobsen
Bass – Shawn Conley
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Featuring, Vocals – Sarah Jarosz
Pipa – Wu Man
Sheng – Wu Tong
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen, Johnny Gandelsman
Written-By – Traditional American
4    Ichichila
Arranged By – Shane Shanahan
Bass – Shawn Conley
Caixa, Rattle, Scraper – Mark Suter
Calabash, Caxixi, Rattle, Scraper – Shane Shanahan
Featuring, Balafon – Balla Kouyate
Featuring, Kora – Toumani Diabaté
Kamancha [Kamancheh] – Kayhan Kalhor
Marimba – Joseph Gramley
Shaker – Haruka Fujii
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen, Johnny Gandelsman
Written-By – Traditional Malian
5    Sadila Jana
Arranged By [Instrumental] – Kyle Sanna
Arranged By [Vocal] – Sarah Small
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Featuring, Vocals – Black Sea Hotel
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen
Written-By – Traditional Macedonian
6    Shingashi Song
Arranged By – Haruka Fujii
Bass – Shawn Conley
Bass Drum, Caxixi – Shane Shanahan
Bells, Cymbal [Chinese], Shaker, Congas, Drum [Shime-Daiko], Cymbal [Chappa] – Haruka Fujii
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Crotales, Bongos, Tom Tom – Joseph Gramley
Featuring, Taiko – Kaoru Watanabe
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Sheng – Wu Tong
Tabla – Sandeep Das
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen
Written-By – Traditional Japanese
7    Madhoushi
Cello – Mike Block
Featuring, Sitar, Vocals, Arranged By – Shujaat Khan
Kamancha [Kamancheh] – Kayhan Kalhor
Tabla – Sandeep Das
Violin – Colin Jacobsen
Written-By – Ustad Vilayat Khan
8    Wedding
Bass – Jeffrey Beecher
Cajón – Mark Suter
Cello – Eric Jacobsen
Clarinet – Kinan Azmeh
Drum [Arabic Rig, Turkish Tef], Percussion [Darbuka], Davul, Drum [Frame] – Shane Shanahan
Featuring, Vocals – Dima Orsho
Percussion [Darbuka] – Joseph Gramley
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen, Jessie Montgomery
Vocals – Wu Tong
Written-By – Kinan Azmeh
9    Going Home
Arranged By – Jeremy Kittel
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Clarinet – Kinan Azmeh
Featuring, Cello, Banjo, Vocals – Abigail Washburn
Lyrics By – William Arms Fisher
Music By – Antonín Dvořák
Sheng, Vocals – Wu Tong
Translated By – Keith Lipson
Translated By [With] – Wu Tong
Viola – Nicholas Cords
10    Cabaliño
Arranged By – Evan Ziporyn
Bagpipes [Gaita] – Cristina Pato
Bass – Shawn Conley
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Drum [Doira] – Shane Shanahan
Featuring, Accordion – Roberto Camesaña
Featuring, Hurdy Gurdy [Zanfona], Arranged By – Anxo Pintos
Featuring, Tambourine – Davíde Salvado
Kamancha [Kamancheh] – Kayhan Kalhor
Written-By – Traditional Galician
11    St. James Infirmary Blues
Bass – Jeffrey Beecher
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Clarinet – Kinan Azmeh
Featuring, Accordion, Arranged By – Michael Ward-Bergeman
Featuring, Vocals – Rhiannon Giddens
Featuring, Yangqin – Reylon Yount
Marimba – Joseph Gramley
Shakuhachi [Shakulute] – Kojiro Umezaki
Violin – Colin Jacobsen
Written-By – Traditional American
12    If You Shall Return...
Bass – Shawn Conley
Bass Drum – Shane Shanahan
Cymbal – Haruka Fujii
Featuring, Guitar – Bill Frisell
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Sheng – Wu Tong
Tabla – Sandeep Das
Vibraphone – Joseph Gramley
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen
Written-By – Hu Jianbing, Kojiro Umezaki, Sandeep Das
13    Heart And Soul
Arranged By – Rob Mathes
Bass – Jeffrey Beecher
Cajón – Mark Suter
Cello – Yo-Yo Ma
Clarinet – Kinan Azmeh
Cymbal, Tambourine – Joseph Gramley
Drum [Rig], Snare – Shane Shanahan
Featuring, Vocals – Gregory Porter, Lisa Fischer
Piano – Cristina Pato
Pipa – Wu Man
Shakuhachi – Kojiro Umezaki
Sheng – Wu Tong
Viola – Nicholas Cords
Violin – Colin Jacobsen
Written-By – Frank Loesser, Hoagy Carmichael

 

JOHN KAIZAN NEPTUNE / TAKÉDAKÉ - TakéDaké with Neptune : Asian Roots (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Probably the best words to describe John Kaizan Neptune are explorer and adventurer. Almost all the instruments used in TakéDaké are bamboo-only instruments of Neptune's own creation: baliphone (bamboo marimba), bambass, bamboo drum set, bamboo conga, bamboo frame drum, and, of course, shakuhachi. To that are added some other instruments from Bali, Vietnam, and more. TakéDaké in fact means "bamboo only." The music itself is as much an exploration as the instruments themselves. For example, the melody of the first piece "Ocean Motion" is based on a Japanese five-tone folk scale, the 12/8 rhythmic groove is African and it is accompanied by a Vietnamese torung. Two pieces are distinctly Balinese and Javanese in character. The other pieces have Japanese, Korean, Cambodian, African, and other influences. Quite a melting pot, but quite an adventure. Something to satisfy for the best musical travelers. by Bruno Deschênes
Tracklist:
1 Ocean Motion 6:00
2 In The Hollow 5:49
3 Jegoging 3:53
4 Java 5:55
5 Korea Idea 4:44
6 Japanese Roots 7:33
7 Five Nodes 7:39
8 Uduboo 5:45
9 Parting Paths 2:25
10 Sky And Sand Way 4:05
11 Angklung Journey 3:52
12 Angklung Journey
Credits:
Congas [Bamboo], Percussion – Yoshinori Nohmi
Drums [Bamboo Drum Set] – Mark DeRose
Frame Drum [Bamboo], Percussion – Christopher Hardy
Performer [Baliphone] – Hitoshi Hamada
Performer [Bambass] – Yoshihiko Katori
Shakuhachi – John Kaizan Neptune