Masaaki Kikushiro
Dansoh
Chrys Records (Japan) 1970
MN-3310CH (LP) gatefold sleeve.
sleeve : VG+(dirts.)
media : EX/EX(some slightly noises.)
A self-produced album by the blind koto musician Masaaki Kikushiro, who began studying koto in 1925, was promoted to the rank of Daikenkyō in 1941, and founded the Ikuta-ryu Kikushiro school of koto music in 1947. Kikushiro composed numerous original pieces and was dedicated to nurturing the next generation of musicians. This album, produced in 1970, features both his solo compositions and ensemble pieces performed with 14 of his students. The ensemble pieces on Side A incorporate various unique elements within a classical framework. Notably, the solo pieces on Side B showcase a remarkable style and performance characterized by free, innovative expression, diverging completely from conservative Japanese traditional music. Pushing the limits of the koto’s potential, Kikushiro’s playing sometimes even evokes the sounds of the Celtic harp or zither. Highly recommended.