Unaccustomed to the pace of her new environment, in the vicinity of New York City, she continually finds herself longing for the exquisite Kyoto Breeze of her homeland. The Kyoto Breeze is a seaward breeze which crosses the island of Honshu on it's journey northward from the great Pacific Ocean basin to the Sea of Japan. On it's way, the Kyoto Breeze is carried to great heights as it passes over the many summits of the Kamuriyama mountain range. The Kamuriyama mountains are the backbone of this region of Honshu.
As a result of it's ascent up into the heavens, the Kyoto Breeze becomes cleansed of civilization until it is once again fresh, and sweet. As it descends through the leeward side of the mountains, meandering through low lying fertile valleys, the Kyoto Breeze encounters tropical gardens filled with various flowers, shrubs, and spices. The breeze becomes permeated with the delicate fragrances of the cherry blossom, and wakasha pine, which are then transported to the northern shores where they enchant the hearts, and senses of the peoples who inhabit the villages of Chieko's peninsula. It has been said, that once one's heart has been captured by the Kyoto Breeze, the soul will forever yearn for it's sensory blissfulness.
Chieko has been a student of the Koto since the very young age of nine. She mastered its basic rigors, and proved to be especially proficient in the art of emotional expressiveness. Her well used Koto has been with her since her early teenage years. I thought it interesting, during my interview with Chieko, of how concerned she was that many of the Japanese youth of today, no longer appear to be interested in the continuation of the discipline associated with traditional Koto music. I was so taken by her sincerity and caring for the preservation of the art, that I agreed to support her endeavor in making this album. I wanted to help her contribute to the preservation of her native traditional art-form.
This album is not strictly devoted to koto music. The second song "Dream Painting" Is a duet featuring the Koto, and the bamboo flute, or the Shakuhachi. The bamboo flute is performed by her husband, Kuniasu, who has mastered the many aspects of this seemingly simple, yet subtly complex instrument. No buttons, no keys, no valves, just five holes and a cut mouth piece is all that separates this exquisite instrument from a raw piece of bamboo . I'll never look at bamboo the same. It was truly a joy to watch Chieko, and Kuniasu perform their music together. They both communicated with a subtle body language that implicitly conveyed each others intentions. To this day, I can not decide upon who was the lead, and who was the responder. The two of them were such a wonderfully polished team. The recording captures their instinctive companionship, as well as their superlative teamwork. How beautiful it is when a husband, and wife share a common interest with such enthusiasm.
During the recording of this album, Chieko mentioned that her friend Chikuzen was in transit from Japan to Ann Arbor, Michigan. She mentioned that Chikuzen was a world class Shakuhachi player. We made arrangements, and managed to record both Chieko and Chikuzen on track five "Windsong". As we were setting our microphone levels, I conversed with Chikuzen about, what seemed to be a most beautiful bamboo flute. Apparently, his flute was made from a bamboo section that had been part of the roof structure of a temple, that had been in place for approximately 450 years. As I looked at the flute in awe, I could make out some light colored blemishes on its surface where reeds had once been tied. The reeds masked that part of the flute from being darkened by years of smoke rising to the peak of the roof. The resurrection of the flute, from the demise of the temple, is an idiosyncratic depiction of the rise of the phoenix out of the ashes of despair. The sounds of this risen flute, in the hands of this expert, has forever dispelled any misgivings I might have had about the ability of a simple instrument to produce a complex plethora of tonal nuances.
Thank you for taking the time to read through this short dissertation of how this album came to be. I know that you will enjoy Chieko's, Kuniasu's, and Chikuzen's art again, and again. While you are listening, take a moment to imagine what it is like to experience the Kyoto Breeze, and contemplate how Chieko has been Longing for the Kyoto Breeze.
Sincerely,
Chegment
I would also like to recognize, give credit, and special thanks to Ms. Yoko Kawano; who's beautiful calligraphy appears on the previous webpage. She is truly a talented, and very gifted person.