The Other Late-Period Masterpiece from Kurosawa

I've just watched Akira Kurosawa's Kagemusha (The Double) for the nth time, and continue to be moved by a wonderful film. The central characters are the feared warlord Shingen, and the petty thief who, by virtue of his uncanny resemblance, is co-opted as a strategic double and ends up with the weight of an entire clan on his shoulders. A rich and thought-provoking work which may be many things to many people, it is to me above all a rumination on society's need for individuals, and individuals' need for society.


Kurosawa portrays superbly the brutality and cunning on which power has always depended - the struggle between Shingen, Ieyasu and Nobunaga (not to mention Shingen's son) provides a compelling milieu. Tatsuya Nakadai is marvellous as both Shingen and his hapless double, and shines in some truly unforgettable scenes. Music relies heavily on a single motif but is highly effective, if without the brilliance lent by Takemitsu to the soundtrack of Ran (a film that begs comparison with this one).

This is essential viewing for lovers of life, art and cinema.

I have the 2002 Region 2 DVD, which has a more than decent transfer of the film. The image is very stable (with some very minor artefacting), but there is a persistent lack of definition which makes the film look far older than its 30 years. Criterion have issued a Region A Blu Ray edition, and a Region 1 DVD, both of which are supposed to be typically excellent.

EDIT: Kagemusha shared the Palme d'Or with All That Jazz at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival.

Downtown New York City Avant-Funk-Lounge-Rock-Surf-Jazz-Thrash

John Zorn’s band Naked City was what all the cool kids were listening to in the early 90’s, and myself in the late 90’s. Their album Radio is a great showcase for this marvellously entertaining, true fusion band., The quality of the playing is immense – huge talents executing with brio, and the kind of timing found on the best jazz records. No surprises there... Naked City contained some of New York's best jazz musicians! Remember though: the cutting edge is also the bleeding edge – some of the more avant-garde aspects of this record may not be for the faint of heart. Very highly recommended for adventurous listeners.

Cuban Music So Good It'll Send Shivers Down Your Spine

Don’t let the butt-ugly cover-design put you off. Eliades Ochoa's "The Lion is Loose!" is amongst the richest, most powerful recordings of Son Cubano, the style with which the Buena Vista Social Club swept the world off its feet. Ochoa leads a crack traditional group in this worthy updating of the Son, his guitar solos impressive showcases for his feel for this music and his technique, his rich, husky vocals very fine indeed. Ochoa is in fact guitarist for the Buena Vista group and this was recorded several years earlier than the famous BVSC release. This would be an excellent follow-up purchase. In fact, I’d very much recommend it first!


Next up, Duo Los Compadres! This group is one of the immortal ones, and these early 50’s recordings of Cuban Son capture a kind of perfection, a sound that feels as if it could be no other way. The disc features the two principals (Lorenzo Hierrezuelo, and Francisco Repilado) singing and playing mostly their own now-classic (and often achingly beautiful) compositions, always accompanied by two or three other musicians on bass and percussion. At some point you'll hear them exhorting each other towards greater musical heights: "Olé, Compay Primo!", "Olé, Compay Segundo..!" - YES, Francisco Repilado is none other than that much-loved musical ambassador who became a global phenomenon 40 years later!
This is _very much not_ a CD only for the historically inclined, but it is interesting to compare a few of these original versions with more recent recordings (e.g. Ochoa’s – see above) of the same songs.

Death, Sex, and Honour in post-war Japan

Here's an obscure cinematic gem that is latterly, unfairly, being marketed as a sexploitation classic: Slave Widow! In fact, while the prurient aspects of the film likely caused a stir on its release in 1967, the work is unfailingly artistic, evocative, and beautiful throughout.


The story concerns a widow who is tempted and bullied into sexual servitude by her recently-deceased husband's chief creditor, a suave and amoral businessman. She is subsequently fallen for by the man's son, who possesses far greater sensitivity than does his brutal father, and events are thus led to an inevitably tragic conclusion.

The acting ranges from naturalistic to somewhat stylised, but is always highly effective. Cinematography (in B&W) is striking throughout. This is a superb and distinctive film.

Cinema Epoch have produced an anamorphic NTSC transfer of the movie onto DVD (region 1) that is really quite good. There is considerable damage to the source material (scratches, dirt, etc.) which has not obviously been cleaned up, but the image is stable and detailed enough to provide a pleasant viewing experience. Digital compression artefacts are not noticeable, a major plus in my book.

Highly recommended for fans of art-house cinema.

Sublime, Late Solos from a Master

Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes, both deceased, are giants of Brazilian cultural life. They were at the heart of the Bossa Nova boom that swept both men to fame in the 1960's and, contrary to the light-hearted work that often represents that movement, they have each produced work of great depth and sensitivity - Powell as guitarist and composer, and de Moraes as composer, lyricist and poet.



"Baden Plays Vinicius" features Baden recorded solo just months before he died in 2000 (Vinicius de Moraes had passed away 20 years earlier). Here we have deeply personal arrangements and playing, by a truly masterful, unique guitarist, of great popular compositions written by a long-time collaborator and friend. There's a richness of tone and expression, and a profundity of feeling here that make this record quite sublime.



Additional recommendations: "Os Afro Sambas", an important 1966 collaboration between the two men, and a seminal reaffirmation of the African roots of Samba; "Mares Profundos", a gorgeous modern reprise, by black Brazilian vocalist Virginia Rodrigues, of those same recordings; plus too many other Brazilian recordings to name!

A Quintessentially English Production

Sir John Betjeman was a British Poet Laureate, and a popular public figure. He was recorded several times in the 1970's reciting his wonderful, accessible poems to specially composed music, and the resulting albums are available at super-bargain price on CD.


Betjeman's Banana Blush is one such album, and I recommend it highly. Betjeman's voice is worldly, expressive, and marvelously precise, and his poetry is a delight. The words and music conjure up the exquisiteness of first love, the ache of lost love, the power of exotic places, and much more, with a quintessential Englishness and at times a wry humour.

The enjoyable light orchestral accompaniment, composed by Jim Parker, is varied and mostly very effective. I particularly liked the dramatic and poignant accompaniment to the reading of "The Arrest of Oscar Wilde at the Cadogan Hotel".

Not everything works: the faux-American accent used for "Longfellow's Visit to Venice"; the odd bluster and jauntiness accompanying the moving words of the final track "A Child Ill", but these quibbles hardly detract from the whole.

In addition to its availability on CD, the album is available for digital download (with sound samples).

p.s. I thought the track "A Shropshire lad" was rather strange... here is some background on the Captain Webb mentioned therein.

Spaghetti Giapponese

Here's a stylish Spaghetti Western with, oddly enough, a Japanese twist or two...


Oggi a me... domani a te! (Today it's me... tomorrow it's you!) was directed by the little-known Tonino Cervi in 1968 (co-writing credits include Dario Argento). Cervi hasn't directed much of note, but seems to have been all over the Italian film industry like a rash for decades: he produced Antonioni's Il Deserto Rosso, no less.

The film stars the taciturn Franco Nero, of Django fame, Bud Spencer (who surely needs no introduction), and none other than Tatsuya Nakadai, who plays the sword-wielding(!) baddie-in-chief. The acting is good, and it's particularly fun seeing Nakadai hamming it up. There's some nice cinematography, and the soundtrack music, which at times mines a sub-Morricone vein (naturally), is effective. I enjoyed the film and definitely recommend it to Western fans, all the more so if they have an interest in Japanese cinema.

Availability for home viewing by English speakers is not great: it seems only the Japanese have put out a suitable edition (which has an English audio track). The quality of this is superb, but it is quite costly.

UPDATE: English-language availability is better than I had thought: low-priced Dutch and German editions are available, both with English audio.

Avant-Garde Cinema Deserving Attention

Seijun Suzuki's Pistol Opera is a post-modern reprise of his 1960's work in the Yakuza (gangster) genre, which itself was audacious enough to get him fired from a commercial studio, Nikkatsu.

Expect shot after shot of stunning, minimalist compositions, bursting with vibrant color. Expect a seriously cool soundtrack. Expect symbolic gestures that replace normal dialogue. Expect a certain amount of head-scratching - I'm still decoding the film, and enjoying doing so.


There are no top-quality DVD options for English-speakers. The US print is more than watchable, but flawed. The UK print is the result of a standards-conversion, a process which practically guarantees artefacts. The Japanese edition likely offers the highest visual quality, but doesn't seem to come with English subtitles. I'd suggest just getting hold of a cheap US or UK DVD and tolerating the occasional glitch.

For some grounding I highly recommend "Branded to Kill", the 1967 film on which "Pistol Opera" is based. And for an accessible introduction to Suzuki's wonderful world, go straight to "Tokyo Drifter".

Note that "Pistol Opera" was filmed in 4:3 aspect ratio, which means you may need to adjust a widescreen television (by selecting size 4:3) in order to view it correctly at home.

Mystical and... Swedish?

Jola Rota is a super-obscure record of psychedelic, folk(ish) music that manages to be mystical rather than gimmicky. Recording in 1972, Joakim Skogsberg drew on his native Swedish folk music, what sounds at times like African field recordings, and doubtless many other influences, to produce a unique and fascinating set of songs and soundscapes. Instrumentation is comprised of voice, percussion, cello, plus ambient electric bass and guitar.


The record's been reissued by boutique Japanese label Tiliqua, in an allegedly limited edition, as part of their ECHOES FROM YESTERYEAR series ("Acid Folk & Entropic Rumblings"...). Sound samples are available here, and the cd is available here and here. I haven't managed to find a (legitimate) source of a digital download.

In the Tradition of the Classic Guinean Bands

Some of the most glorious music of the twentieth century was recorded in Guinea-Conakry, under the auspices of Sékou Touré's harsh dictatorship (1958 - 84). Guinea was doubtless not a great place to be during this time, due to the repressive political climate. Musically, some great players were frustrated by the nationally mandated musical policy of modernising local folklore (to the exclusion of exploring Jazz or other international developments) - nevertheless the results, recorded and distributed by Syliphone, the state record company, were marvellous. Sterns does a great job of making this superb music available, both as publisher and retailer.

But enough about the past... the band Kaloum Star look set to bring this great music into the twenty-first century. Survivors from the classic period (founded 1969), their album Felenko (1997) is truly worthy of the great Guinean band tradition, and one of the most treasured of my recent musical discoveries.


Cuban charanga flutes, soul/funk arrangements, bluesy ambience, gorgeous saxophone and vocals, typically inventive Mande guitar playing - all add up to a joyous stew just begging to be discovered by lovers of African music everywhere. For dancing or listening, this is a gem.

mp3 Downloads available (with sound samples) from emusic.

A Blind Anatolian Bard

Aşık Veysel (d. 1973) was a blind Turkish poet and minstrel, who accompanied himself on the bağlama (a.k.a. saz, a lute common to many Muslim cultures). I picked up a CD of his music during a trip to Turkey a couple of years ago. I don't understand the poetic Turkish lyrics, but I do understand the beautiful sound of a man deeply absorbed in music-making. If you like melismatic Asian vocal music, or are an adventurous music-lover, you should check it out.

Here is an effectively translated sample of Veysel's poetry. Clearly I can't vouch for the accuracy of the translation.



Here is the CD for sale online, with sound samples. I can recommend the vendor.

French Suspender

Juste Avant La Nuit (Just Before Nightfall) is a superb, adult drama from the French master of suspense, Claude Chabrol (the so-called "French Hitchcock"). Dealing very maturely with the consequences of an extra-marital affair that ends in murder, the film is subtle but grips from start to finish due to its growing emotional and moral complexity. The acting is very impressive throughout.


I picked up the film on DVD as part of an 8-disc set of Chabrol's films, currently available at an absurd bargain price (~£13) from Amazon UK. Arrow Films, who produce the box, is a quality outfit. Highly recommended!

Jazz Rock Maloya

Sabouk is an electric band from Reunion Island. Their self-titled album from Discorama Production is groovy, full of jazzy improvisation and creative arrangements, and highly enjoyable. Discorama's catalogue classifies this music as Jazz Rock Maloya (Maloya being the dominant local voice-and-percussion traditional style), and who am I to argue?



The mp3 album is available (with sound samples) from Fnac. The CD is available from Discorama.

Obscure West Coast Cool

Earl Anderza is not a household name, even in Jazz fanatic circles. But he is (was) a fine player and improviser on the alto sax with a varied style - a bag of tricks that captures my interest throughout his sole album as a leader: Outa Sight (Pacific Jazz). It's a beautiful record, and a minor classic of West Coast Jazz.


The other musician featured on the album is Jack Wilson, another fine West Coast musician (with a couple of Blue Note recordings to his name). Wilson switches from piano to harpsichord for a couple of tracks, an unusual choice which works well for me (the rattling clunkiness of the harpsichord actually makes for a pretty good blues instrument).

The tracklist is a mix of group originals and standards (there's a great version of Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to"). The mood is plaintive, longing, downbeat, with Earl's sax responsible for much of the tension.

Too bad Earl Anderza never made it bigger - he had the talent.

Sounds samples from HMV Japan, CD available from Amazon.

Great Unknowns from a Troubled Island

Following on from my Ibo Combo post, here's another great group, Les Difficiles de Petion-Ville, that's inexplicably obscure outside Haiti and its diaspora. This guitar band demonstrates a truly rare mastery of musical excitement - their records feature wave after wave of driving rhythms and tasty, stinging guitar riffs, further buoyed by catchy call-and-response vocal choruses (a typical Africanism). Great for dancing, this is music to animate the dead!


"Coq Qualite", their 5th album, is a superb example of their style of Konpa (a.k.a. Kompa, Compas). It's typically hard to come by - Sakapfet is probably the best online source, although you may need to telephone them to arrange international (i.e. non-US) shipping. I've been unable to find sound samples for this particular album, but here are samples from another (somewhat more laid-back on the whole, but track 07 gives a decent preview of what to expect on "Coq Qualite").

And here's a good reference for learning more about this style of music.

(Reunion) Island Charm, Nostalgia and Swing

Claude Vinh San (a.k.a. Bao Vang) is the son of the last Emperor of Annam (Vietnam), Duy Tân, who was exiled to Reunion. As is briefly noted in Vinh San's Wikipedia page, he is an accomplished musician, and a little Reunion label named Takamba have just beautifully reissued his early (1960's) musical output.


"Claude Vinh San et le Jazz Tropical" is a winner of a disc, recommendable to those with an interest in French music (lovely musette and chanson here...), African music (plenty of tasty rhythms), 1960's music, or indeed music with charm and swing to spare.

This is the latest in a series of discs from Takamba devoted to the patrimoine musical of the Indian Ocean. The dics's packaging is fantastic - a small book containing great archival photos (including a comprehensive set of album covers), plus liner notes in English and (in far more detail...) French. I've sometimes been annoyed by Takamba's audio restoration efforts - too much clean-up can rob old recordings of body - but such problems are hardly in evidence here.

Sound samples (and mp3 files for download) are available here. If, like me, you're still hooked on those little shiny discs, buy this from Discorama on Reunion.

Japanese New Wave Cinema: Masahiro Shinoda's "Pale Flower"

Masahiro Shinoda's "Pale Flower" is a terrific yakuza, or gangster, film made in the mid-60's. It was inspired, according to the director, by Japan's post-war malaise, in particular its side-lining by the major players of the Cold War. It's main characters are accordingly frustrated, bored, spiritually bereft, as they speed between high-stakes gambling venues in search of thrills.


Gambling is central to the story, and the film features many excellent scenes which present the activity in artful, almost fetishistic, detail. Indeed, the repetitive, rhythmic monotones of the dealer, the spellbound congregation in the hall, seem to bring the characters as close to church as they ever get. I should mention that Shinoda's presentation of gambling in "Pale Flower" led to the film being banned in Japan!

The superb modernist soundtrack was composed by Toru Takemitsu.

"Pale Flower" is sheer class all the way through, and a must-see for fans of classic cinema. American Cinemateque's DVD contains a very good transfer of the film.

I can also highly recommend Shinoda's "Silence" (a forerunner and companion piece to Joffé's "The Mission"), and "Assassination".

Masters of Gwo Ka, Masters of Jazz

Ornette Coleman is a truly remarkable artist, who literally endured beatings in the 1950's in order to make himself heard. His entire musical conception was so radical then (he even inspired disdain from some legendary Jazz modernists), but has become an integral part of modern jazz expression, and Coleman himself is now one of the (living) saints of the Jazz tradition. Which is why he was asked to curate a London music festival happening this Summer on the South Bank: Ornette Coleman's Meltdown.

I saw David Murray and the Gwo Ka Masters live tonight at QEH as part of the Meltdown. It was a great show! Murray may not owe a direct stylistic debt to Coleman, but there's no doubt that the older man is a spiritual godfather of his intense, wired-directly-into-the-soul saxophone playing. The Gwo Ka project is a merging of Murray's sax with traditional (Gwo Ka) musicians from Guadeloupe plus a Jazz Funk band. It all worked rather well on the night, and a differing emphasis on the various elements of the group sound provided pleasant variety to the set. The concert made me quite happy, and I was inspired to go home and listen to some more music from Guadeloupe...

First off, a CD from one of the Guadeloupeans who shared the stage with Murray tonight - Francois (Fanswa) Ladrezeau. His album "ESPWA KOURAJ" is a lively and original graft onto the roots of the vocal and percussion tradition of Gwo Ka - it's truly something special from the first minute.


The next recommendation is "TWA SET" by Erick Cosaque, a legendary Caribbean musician. It's rare to find any of Cosaque's recordings (online specialist vendors of used vinyl, e.g. http://cdandlp.com, would probably be the best bet), although he's made quite a few over a long career. So I snapped up this 2009 recording when I saw it available online, and certainly wasn't disappointed. It's mellow, lovely, authentically Caribbean music, and makes me long for a few days spent in island sunshine.


Sounds samples for both albums are available from Antilles Mizik (see album links above), who seem to be the only retailer making these albums internationally available.

Hideo Gosha's "Goyokin"

Hideo Gosha is a prolific Japanese director whose output includes some excellent films, many in the Samurai genre. "Goyokin" is a stellar example. It stars Tatsuya Nakadai who also featured in the superb "Harakiri", and this film explores similar themes: in particular, the depravity and hypocrisy rife within the Shogunate.


Nakadai plays Magobei, a noble Samurai driven into self-exile when he can no longer countenance the evil ways of his fellows, who fund their domain criminally and with no regard for the terrible human cost. Hating himself for his cowardice, he gets wind of an upcoming heist, and returns to tie up the loose ends he left three years ago.

The film looks fabulous - the cinematographer makes much of the barren, snow-swept coastline that plays a central role in the story; the rotten eaves of a deserted hut form an abstract silhouette against a dead, grey sky; all in all, a visual treat. There's also some enjoyable traditional Japanese music featured, not least a drumming ensemble that forms a dramatic backdrop to the film's final confrontation (there had to be one, right...?).

"Goyokin" is an action movie that is also a fine work of art, in the manner of a Sergio Leone Western. Tokyo Shock's R1 DVD is utterly recommendable.

Golden Age of Filmi

Indian film music (Filmi) is an endlessly inventive genre, with some stunning singers. Lata Mangeshkar is one of the greatest of these, and features heavily on this very nice album from Saregama, presenting soundtracks from three mid-C20 movies (Barsaat/ Aah / Aag).



Really enjoyable, rich and varied Indian sounds in a popular, accessible context - open-minded music-lovers will love this.

Absurdity of Love: Wong Kar Wai's "Ashes of Time, Redux"

Wong Kar Wai's films (those that I've seen, anyway) are light-hearted, nostalgic affairs that portray the absurdities to which we subject ourselves in the name of love. Ashes of Time, Redux presents this theme with a twist: the film is set in the sword-filled hinterlands of ancient China.



Plot-wise, this is an enigmatic film, but to my mind plot is almost incidental... mood takes precedence here, and I'd recommend not taking the more cryptic aspects of the story too seriously. It's a ravishingly beautiful movie - Christopher Doyle's cinematography steals the show, the landscapes being particularly spectacular, and the costumes are great.

All in all, a highly memorable, vaguely tongue-in-cheek tale of forsaken love, longing, and epic desert sword-fights. Just watch it!

Artificial Eye's UK DVD is brilliant. There's also a Blu-ray version available.

Skronk-Jazz a la Maroc

"Sudani" is a collaboration between Jazz saxophonist Patrick Brennan and a group of Moroccan Gnawa musicians, recorded in Morocco in 1999. This is a cracker of a fusion record, featuring a very natural combination of Brennan's post-Coleman, post-Coltrane sax with powerful, authentically hypnotic Gnawa roots music. Highly recommended for adventurous listeners.

For more info: http://www.sonispheric.net/sudani_project.htm.

Joint Security Area

National tragedy begets personal tragedy. "Joint Security Area" is an investigation of one such tragic event and its aftermath, portraying individual soldiers violently torn between their personal needs and the national political agenda they serve. It's a gripping police procedural, threaded with powerful humanism.




The film's milieu is the titular area forming the border between the Koreas. A shooting incident takes place late one night in a Northern sentry post, leaving two Northerners dead and a Southerner wounded. How did a Southern soldier end up in a Northern station - was it a kidnapping, a maverick attack, or something else? Was someone else present in the hut on that fateful night, as evidenced by a missing bullet? A Swiss national with Korean roots is assigned by the on-site international peace-keepers to solve the mystery, and thus calm a Korean peninsula tense in the wake of this cross-border aggression.

"JSA" features excellent acting by top-class talent such as Song Kang-ho ("Memories of Murder") and Lee Byung-hun ("A Bittersweet Life"). Edko's Region 3 DVD is good value, e.g. http://www.hmv.com.hk/product/product.asp?sku=220425.

Korean Boxing Movie with a Serious Emotional Punch

I watched this film recently, and it so surpassed my expectations that I just had to blog about it. "Crying Fist" is about two down-and-out people who enter a national boxing competition as a way to regain status and self-esteem. The elder contestant is played by the ubiquitous, and excellent Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) in a tremendous performance! All of the acting is great, and I defy anyone to get to the end of this film without getting swept up by the emotionally powerful climax.



The quality of the UK DVD is pretty good, and it's available at absurdly low prices (< £1) via Amazon UK marketplace.

Highly recommended!

Haiti's Manic Groove

I've really been enjoying this late 70's album by Haiti's Ibo Combo. It's an ongoing mystery to me as to why this and similar (so-called Konpa, or Compas) music from Haiti hasn't caught on, at least with the beat-heads and "deep-crate diggers" of the world. I reckon it's just a matter of time, and have long mulled over producing a compilation to speed the process.




Many uptempo Konpa tunes have a breathless, manic quality, just one of the elements that sets this style of music apart from other styles originating in the African diaspora. Ibo Combo's "Engendré" has the usual exciting mix of hot rhythms, horns, choppy guitar, and exciting vocals, solo and in chorus, but the album is particularly well done and quite distinctive. It features an unusual number obviously inspired by the Spaghetti Western soundtracks of Ennio Morricone, and also a cover of a tune by Ti Paris, a brilliant Haitian folk musician .

The CD is available from antilles-mizik. Ibo Combo's "Café" is another excellent recording, available from the same shop.

An Irish Lament

"Lament" is the title of this 90's Real World concept album, and it consists of mournful contributions from the cream of Irish traditional musicians. The intention of the disc is to "commemorate in music the dead of the violence in Northern Ireland", and it is a worthy, beautiful effort.




There's a mix of vocal and instrumental music here. The singing is mostly in Gaelic, but any lack of verbal understanding is immaterial - there's a language here that transcends words. A wide range of instruments lends a very pleasant variety to the disc: accordion, fiddle, pipes, whistle, harp, etc., all superbly played. Contributing musicians include Davy Spillane, Christy Moore, Sean Potts (The Chieftains), Paddy Glackin (Bothy Band), and Tony McMahon.

I've been listening to this disc a lot recently - it's really quite special.

Pitch-black Comedy from Denmark

"Adam's Apples" is a story about belief and redemption set in a small Danish town. Adam, a thuggish, taciturn convict, is paroled to a church community run by an eccentric but charismatic preacher (Mads Mikkelsen, now of Bond fame). He is at first horrified by the seeming hypocrisy of the motley community, made up mostly of ex-cons like himself, and he takes pleasure in showing up his fellows. But subsequent events radically challenge his view of the world.


I found the film fresh, original and thought-provoking. It's well-shot and the acting is flawless. The mode of humour really is quite dark - which is no doubt a warning for some, and a recommendation for others!

Film Movement's DVD transfer is super - a great picture with no noticeable compression artefacts.

Public Service Announcement for Lovers of Brazilian Music

Heads up! A bunch of very nice CDs of Brazilian music, published by What Music, are available right now at ridiculous clearance prices via various Amazon UK Marketplace Sellers. Ridiculous as in from less than £1 each... and, no, there is no catch (except that shipping to the UK will add ~ £1.20 to the price of each CD - more to other destinations, of course).




Go to the Amazon.co.uk homepage, mouse over "Music, DVD & Games", then click on "Music". Click on "Advanced Search". In the Label field, enter "What Music", then click on "Search now". When you get the search results, sort by "Price: Low to High", and behold.

I can recommend the following:

"O Som do Black Rio" - Dom Mita (£0.20 and up!)
Sweet revival of the classic 70's Brazilian Soul sound, the titular Sound of Black Rio.

"Gosto Tanto" - Edson & Tita Lobo
Modern acoustic Bossa Nova by two accomplished veterans of the genre, with some special guests. Lovely.



Also, "Ana Mazzotti", "Bambu" - Marcos Ariel, "Semuta" (all groovy fusion) and (from Argentina) "Chivo Borraro Quarteto en Vivo" (jazz).

Try before you buy... check out sound samples for each album at the What Music website: http://www.whatmusic.com.

Don't delay, these clearance deals will not last forever.

Poetry and Mayhem, Korean Style

Kim Ji-woon's "A Bittersweet Life" is a superb, modern film noir. Gripping from start to finish, it intersperses a stream of suspense and ultra-violence with glimpses of poetry which ultimately hold the film together and provide meaning. The overall effect is highly memorable, not least due to the film's rich visual beauty.

Tartan's DVD transfer is recommendable.

Audio Ginei* Pig? Try This!

This CD recommendation is for adventurous listeners, or for those already turned on to the beauty of traditional or classical Asian vocal music. Each song in this compilation is a recital of poetry, sung in a highly melismatic style, with a "tightened throat" intonation that gave the genre, Ginei, its name. There is very little rhythmic propulsion to the tunes - the voices conjure an effect like fragrant smoke rising from a brazier, hanging lightly in the air. The compiled singers are beautifully accompanied by instruments that vary from track to track, ranging from traditional Japanese instruments to a tasteful solo organ(!)).


Most of the notes are in Japanese, though there is a brief paragraph in English on the Ginei genre (much appreciated by this gaijin). The recordings are high-quality mono, which leads me to believe that they were made in the late 50's / early 60's - I thus assume that this is a compilation of historical Ginei recordings, and the superb quality suggests a prime period for the genre.

Sound samples and CD available at HMV Japan: http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/1937103

^* Yes, I know how to spell Guinea, thanks. Jeez!

Great Japanese Cinema, Part 1 of Many

I saw a lot of films in 2008, and none impressed me more than this one: "Hara Kiri" (a.k.a. "Harakiri") (1963), by Masaki Kobayashi.

Hara Kiri is set in 17th Century Japan: the consolidation of power within the Shogunate is causing many clans to disintegrate, leaving many former Samurai doomed to subsist as desperate Ronin. The film is a dark, stirring, and far-reaching commentary on society and societal institutions: hypocrisy, shallowness, and abuse of power are powerfully addressed.

The acting is superb, with a tremendous lead performance from Tatsuya Nakadai, one of the greatest of Japanese actors and a long-time collaborator with Akira Kurosawa (e.g. Ran; Kagemusha). The music, composed by Toru Takemitsu, is particularly effective and yet another reason to see this film.

The film scooped the Cannes Special Jury Prize, which (at the time of the award) was the second most important award of the Cannes Film Festival.

I recommend Criterion's DVD, which is typically excellent, and comes with many extras.