Zen Music - The International Shakuhachi Society

Zen Music

Yamaguchi Gorō
JVC - SJL-2094

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Kumoi Jishi	雲井獅子	08'30	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō Shakuhachi: Matsumura Hōmei
	This piece was being transmitted at Itcho-ken, a well-known komuso temple in Hakata (Fukuoka), Kyushu, descended from Myoan-ji Temple in Kyoto. It is also called 'Ni-agari Jishi'. It was once highly popular in Kyushu because of its beautiful, brilliant melodies. It was arranged by YOSHIDA Itcho and was included in the Kinko-ryu repertory.
2	Azuma no Kyoku (Kinko Ryu)	吾妻の曲	05'39	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō Shakuhachi: Matsumura Hōmei
	There were Koten Honkyoku pieces in the style called Nezasa-ha of Kimpu-ryu in the vicinity of a castle town, Hirosaki, Aomori (the northernmost part of Honshu), in the Edo period. This piece was a representative one and was later arranged by YOSHIDA Itcho I, of Kinko-ryu. Its melodic flows are smooth and beautiful.
3	Sugagaki	菅垣	04'30	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō
	The term Sugagaki originally meant to play string instruments without accompanying voice. But in Shakuhachi it simply means those pieces which come from compositions for string instruments; for example, "Akita Sugagaki' and 'San-ya Sugagaki'. The source of the present piece is not known, but is said to have been arranged by YOSHIDA Itcho.
4	Kokū Reibo	虚空鈴慕	28'20	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō
	They say that this piece was composed symbolizing longings for bell (Taku) ringing in the empty sky. A legend says that in the T'ang Dynasty Fuke Zenji, founder of Fuke-shu (a sect of Buddhism), used to walk to the streets with bell ringings, and after his death a disciple of his composed the music in memory of him and bells. They also say that this was composed by Kichiku, a disciple of Hoto Kokushi who introduced Fuke-shu into Japan in the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). Kichiku was practicing austerities in Asama-yama, Ise, when he heard some strange beautiful music in his visionary state. Afterwards he composed the piece. Whichever the truth may be, this piece is the oldest among the Kinko-ryu Shakuhachi repertory. It is (or, was) highly religious in character. KUROSAWA Kinko, founder of the school, is said to have been instructed form Ikkeishi of Shoju-ken, Nagasaki.