James Newton
Water Mystery
Gramavision Records/Canyon Records (US) 1986
C28Y0212 (LP) Promotional copy. w/obi, insert.
sleeve : NM-(DJS)
media : EX+/EX+(some slightly noise)
Released in 1986, this album is by James Newton, a free-jazz flutist who has also created numerous works approaching the realm of new age, at times making use of the natural reverberation produced by physical spaces and environments. The album features accomplished free-jazz musicians including John Carter, Anthony Brown, and Roberto Miranda.Beginning with a gentle interpretation of part of Duke Ellington’s Shakespeare suite, the album moves through a remarkably wide range of approaches: new-age jazz with a distinctly Japanese flavor featuring koto and harp, a realization of a piece from Newton’s 1982 album James Newton, a composition combining koto with the African kora, and, ultimately, the free jazz that lies at the core of his musical identity.Despite this diversity, the album maintains a beautifully soft and coherent soundscape, seamlessly blending ethnic jazz with new-age sensibilities. A masterpiece of remarkable elegance and imagination. Highly recommended.
A2: Lone Hill
B1: Water Mystery