This work was the beginning of a series of minyo crossover series created in the 1970s by Nobuo Hara and Kiyoshi Yamaya, a composer and arranger from Sharps & Flats, and Kifu Mitsuhashi, one of Japan’s leading shakuhachi players. This record is the first release of a trilogy including, ‘Shakuhachi Yama no Uta’ and `Shakuhachi Ri no Uta’.

• Limited Edition
• Japanese Sounds Collage series
• Nippon Columbia Japan
• Mastered and Pressed in Japan!
• Includes OBI Strip

Born in Tokyo in 1950, KIFU MITSUHASHI studied Kinko­school shakuhachi with Sofu Sasaki and the classical honkyoku repertoire of the Fuke school with Chikugai Okamoto. He was awarded the Prize for Excellence by the Agency for Cultural Affairs for his first recital (1980) and the Arts Festival Prize by the same agency for his 1989 solo recital. He was awared the Osaka Cultural Festival Prize in 1981, the 10th Nakajima Kenzo Music Prize in 1992, the Arts Festival Works Prize for his CD of works by Makoto Moroi, Chikurin Kitan, and the Yokohama Cultural Encouragement Award.

He traveled to Europe as a soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonia in 1994, gaining high acclaim for performances in venues such as the London Festival Hall. Mitshuhashi has also become active as a producer, organising events at the Serbia Expo and Festival Asia. He has given 77 recitals to date overseas, and twenty in Tokyo alone. He holds the qualification of shihan (master) in the Kinko school, and runs his own group for shakuhachi perfomance, the Kifu Kai.

Musicians:

Arranged By – Kiyoshi Yamaya
Bass – Kimio Koizumi, Kunimitsu Inaba
Drums – Kazuyoshi Okayama
Guitar – Kiyoshi Sugimoto
Piano – Hiromu Hisatomi, Keisuke Egusa
Shakuhachi – Kifu Mitsuhashi
Vibraphone – Isao Kanayama

Track Listing:

01. Oiwake
02. Oshima Bushi
03. Sado Okesa
04. Soran Bushi
05. Isohama Bon Uta
06. Kaigara bushi
07. Kushimoto-bushi
08. Isobushi
09. Saitaro Bushi
10. Konpira funefune
11. Tosa no sunayama
12. Tanchame

Click here to listen to samples on YouTube.com ♫