Charlie Mariano
Mariano
Instution Records (US) 1987
C1-90787 (LP)
sleeve : VG+(SRW, some wear on side and corner, light color-faded)
media : EX-/EX-(some light noise)
A 1987 album by American saxophonist Charlie Mariano, who had been active since the 1950s and recorded numerous outstanding works through collaborations with a wide range of musicians, including strong connections with both German and Indian players. Released under Mariano’s own name on the new age-oriented label Instution, the album features Mike Herting and Paul Shigehara. The record moves through several different territories, from pieces rich in the ethnic sensibility that has long been one of Mariano’s trademarks, to urban-tinged fusion and new age tracks that make bold use of electronics. A4 is especially beautiful, with Mariano’s saxophone and Shigehara’s guitar floating through an ethereal soundscape created by Mike Herting’s deeply atmospheric synthesizer work. B1 transforms rhythmic ideas drawn from Indian music, a field Mariano had explored many times before, while B2 stands out for its vivid, rhythmic momentum, evoking the expansive landscapes of Africa. A fascinating album that reveals sides of Mariano rarely heard elsewhere in his discography.
A4: The Path
B1: Al Hadji
B2: Kalimba