Recorded in Japan in February 1964.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Tony Scott (clarinet); Shinichi Yuize (koto); Hozan Yamamoto (shakuhachi)
This is part of the Verve Master Editions series.
In the late 1950s, jazz clarinetist Tony Scott traveled through Asia, settling for five years in Japan to play and teach. While his music influenced the Japanese musicians and students he encountered, the music and ambience of Japan made an even deeper impression on him. He began to use his clarinet to imitate the sounds of nature, and started a lifelong investigation into Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies.
The first tangible result of this exploration is the 1964 release MUSIC FOR ZEN MEDITATION, arguably the first "new age" recording. This is very simple, uncluttered music; the minimal melodic tension draws the listener into the present moment. Scott's clarinet blends beautifully with bamboo flute and Japanese zither, creating a sound both heady and earthy, the perfect embodiment of the Zen philosophy. |
