As we are about to travel to East this month, these four pieces reflects an influence by Japan, blending jazz with other genres. Dave Brubeck’s “Fujiyama” blends cool jazz with elements of Japanese classical music. “Ashitaka Sekki” written for a Hayao Miyazaki-anime, is a tango, infusing jazz with Argentinian dance elements. “Pink Cherry Trees” incorporates electronic textures alongside jazz improvisation while Keith Jarrett’s solo “Encore from Tokyo” is of a relatively pure form but it takes on an almost classical form. These tracks all use pacing effectively, allowing space between notes to create a serene Eastern, almost ambient vibe.
“Fujiyama” from the album Jazz Impressions of Japan by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
“Ashitaka Sekki (The Legend of Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke)” by Ryota Komatsu
“Pink Cherry Trees” by Arne Henriksen, Elvind Aarset, Jan Bang, Jez Riley French. We look forward to playing this while viewing cherry blossoms.
“Encore from Tokyo” by Keith Jarrett
Random Moment is a playlist series which we started posting during the COVID pandemic in 2020. Each playlist offers a small selection, typically featuring four songs and ranging in total listening time from 10 to 20 minutes. Designed to provide a brief respite from daily tasks, these playlists aim to maintain a desired musical ambiance. The music selection is deliberately eclectic, encompassing classical compositions, contemporary works, rock, and even dance tracks.
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You can also listen to it on Spotify but a subscription is required to listen to the full length of each tune. Playing the samples without a subscription is still fun. Try it.
This is the 28th playlist. The earlier playlists can be found by searching for the category “playlists” on this site.