Stone Monkey

Stone Monkey Artist: Kazu Matsui
Label: Sony/Columbia
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
EAN: 4529547000299
ASIN: B0008JH3VM


Release Date: 2005-06-02

Related Categories:

General General
Related | International | Styles | Music
General General
Related | Jazz | Styles | Music
Jazz Fusion Jazz Fusion
Related | Jazz | Styles | Music
Smooth Jazz Smooth Jazz
Related | Jazz | Styles | Music
International International
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Tracks:

  1. Edge of Sunrise
  2. Stone Monkey
  3. Shadow of Its Soul
  4. Praising a Temple
  5. Red Forest
  6. Planting Seeds
  7. Windows of the Dome
  8. Ancient Longing Dance
  9. Eye of the Moon
  10. Crow

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A varied assortment of shakuhachi fusions.......2006-10-01

Shakuhachi player Kazu Matsui brings this traditional instrument forward into the twenty first century, experimenting with various mixings and modern musical styles, and accompanied by wife Keiko Matsui on piano and Hajime Hyakkoku on guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion and programming. Several of the songs are composed or co-composed by Keiko, a celebrated Jazz / New Age pianist in her own right, and they bear her signature sound--deep, rich, and full of pounding, heartfelt passion. Other selections have more of a techno quality to them, lending a slightly disparate character to the album when listened to as a whole. Most of the music, regardless of style, is minor and often intense in character. I love the sound of the shakuhachi, and its haunting tones do manage to at least kiss all of the tracks and are truly featured in some, but the instrument is definitely peripheral in others. I like most of the compositions well enough, but I tend to find myself wishing for more shakuhachi and less of all the other stuff, which can be heard in abundance elsewhere, including Keiko Matsui's lengthy discography. There's such an intriguing, subtle quality to the sound of the shakuhachi; it deserves to featured and truly heard, even in modern fusion music. Kazu Matsui has many other albums, and for more music in the vein of "The Stone Monkey," try "White Owl" and the other lusciously jazzy albums by Keiko Matsui, in which Kazu plays too. You might also enjoy "The Best of Nakkai: In Beauty We Return," in which a master of the Native American flute also experiments with a variety of modern musical genres. For more traditional fare, check out the many shakuhachi recordings of Riley Lee, in which this venerable instrument takes center stage simply and unadorned, and nonetheless holds the attention wonderfully.

Music CD:

  1. Encontros Sertanejos V.3 ~ Various Artists
  2. Burning My Soul ~ Various Artists
  3. Festival Tropical 2 ~ Various Artists
  4. Raritaeten & Spezialitaet ~ Udo Lindenberg
  5. Knapp ~ Brings
  6. Best of 2004: Live ~ Marco Masini
  7. Anonatsuno Hibi ~ Inazumasentai
  8. Noto No Himatsuri ~ Tatsue Kaneda
  9. Yokaidaisenso ~ Kouji Endo
  10. Cosi E La Vita ~ Mariella Nava

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Forever Hustlin' ~ Ray Luv

Watertown ~ Mando Saenz

You Come Through ~ PJ Harvey

Visions of Vespertina ~ Visions of Vespertina

Silence ~ Sonata Arctica

Resignation ~ Rx Bandits

Size Isn't Everything

The Best of Movie Hits ~ Various Artists

Ultraman Complete Collection: 2004 - 2005 ~ Original Soundtrack

Complete Guitarist ~ Davy Graham