One of the most beautiful albums we've ever heard from Toshiko Akioshi -- a wonderfully sensitive trio session that's quite different than her more bop-oriented work of the 50s! The mid 60s album features a fair bit of tunes pulled from traditional and Japanese sources -- a few of the lullabies hinted at in the title, and a few more tracks with some slightly Eastern-styled themes. Toshiko's piano, while bold at times, also has a sensitivity that hadn't often shown up in her work by this point -- a new sort of gentleness that's open to light colors and tones that really flesh out the album beautifully. Bass is by Yasuo Arakawa and drums are by Kanji Harada -- and that's a young Monday Michiru sitting on the piano on the cover (and the album was also one of the last to bill Toshiko as "Mariano", referring to Monday's father Charlie.) Titles include "Mari To Tonosama", "The March", "Angel's Lullaby", "Tuppen Och Honan", "London Bridge", "Cancion De Extremadura", "Kanchororin Bushi", "I Ken Pien Tan", and "Chocho". |