Search - Joji Hirota, Itto / Hirota, Joji Ohba, Japanese Traditional :: The Gate

Modern arrangements of traditional Japanese themes

Clayton W. Hibbert | Seattle, WA, USA | 02/22/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Gate" is simply extraordinary. Hirota is equally at home with flutes, strings, and drums, and it shows. Intoxicating, powerful drumming fills the spaces between the orchestral string and flute pieces, and his plaintive, lonely voice can be heard atop a several of the tracks.A spirit of tradition and an ancient feel persists throughout the disc, despite the modern arrangements and high-quality production.A definite highlight is "Komori Uta," a old lullaby sung as a duet with Joji and an 8-year-old child. Beautiful.Highly recommended."

The lush factor matters...

C. Gray | Chicago, USA | 04/21/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"- It is Zamfir done right?Well, its definitely more than that. I could imagine this gracing the aural side of an Akira Kurosawa film. Too bad we're not going to see that. :(I have to admit that it was "Reminiscences II" that initially grabbed my attention and shut my eyes in tranquility when I first previewed this cd at a local Borders bookstore. (after a tedious search of cd misses)There's something so beautiful about coupling traditional Asian music with lush orchestration and strings and this is done well on "The Gate". Check out the Three Seasons soundtrack or David Parsons' Ngaio Gamelan cd for more of this sort of bliss. Maybe you'd get into Putomayo's "Music from the Tea Lands" as well.I rated this cd 3 stars because contrary to the publicist's opinion, I feel that the drum tracks in the middle break the trance. They would have sounded better near the end. But considering how penetrating the other tracks are, the flow of the journey would have been most tranquil without them.After getting beyond the first track, I found the real gem to be "Esashi Oiwake". I say this because it touches me in the same way that vocals on the Three Seasons soundtrack manage to command humility and serenity.Overall, this is a very nice addition to my collection of alleviating music."

Modern arrangements with an ancient Japanese texture

Clayton W. Hibbert | Seattle, WA, USA | 02/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Gate" is an unique and beautiful tapestry. Peaceful but melancholic flutes & strings balance against powerful, intoxicating drums of celebration. On some tacks, Hirota's plaintive voice lifts the music to another level.The lullaby Komori Uta (Track #4) is a duet with Hirota himself and an 8-year-old child, with awesomely beautiful results.Highly recommended."