Monday Michiru - ENSO

[JSngry]

https://www.mondaymichiru.com/

THE ENSO STORY

In 2019, I started thinking about a new recording project and approached producer-arranger Gil Goldstein to see if he would consider coming on board. I had in mind an acoustic recording with great arrangements and orchestrations, tapping into some of the sonics of my youth as a classical flute student and tying into what I do today. An introduction by Gil led to talks with a major label in Japan…then the pandemic hit. All seemed lost.

But with the bad always comes the good, and while the initial project got scrapped, I was fortunate to be awarded an SBA Loan and slowly rebuilt the project albeit not the fully orchestrated version initially envisioned, but an album that still felt full, gorgeous, and from the heart. Gil arranged and produced 3 tracks including one of his original compositions, arranger Miho Hazama came on board for 2 tracks, Brazilian artist Lucas Arruda wrote, produced and even played all the instruments on a song, poet Ursula Rucker came on board as a guest which fulfilled a bucket list of mine, koto artist Asuka and my stepfather Lew Tabackin also lent their spectacular talents, as well as saxophonist Steve Wilson, not to mention all the amazing musicians who are some of my favorite on earth. Long time friend, engineer and sonic wizard Dave Darlington gelled it all together into an album I am incredibly proud of.

ENSO MEANING

Most people know the zen calligraphy symbolizing the circle of life. The idea behind the drawings is that anyone can draw the circle and it will be as individual and unique as any one person is, no two are the same, and the circles are always drawn incomplete, symbolizing a life still being lived. The kanji (Chinese characters) for this is 円相. There is another meaning to the word “enso” with the kanji 演奏 which means musical performance, and I loved the double meaning behind the word. I wanted to make an album that in a way is my own musical cycle from my classical beginnings in flute to the music forms I have been inspired by, explored and have made mine today.

THE RECORDING

The basic recordings with the rhythm sections took 3 days starting in November with 3 tracks produced & arranged by Gil Goldstein recorded at Samurai Studios manned by studio owner and engineer David Stoller, and the other 2 days in December recorded at Dave Darlington’s studio Bass Hit Recordings, except for the Lucas Arruda track which he recorded separately in Brazil. We spent 4 days spread out through January to do instrumental and vocal overdubs, then 2 days to mix and master. Ursula Rucker and Asuka did their overdubs respectively in Philadelphia and Tokyo, making for a pretty international and eclectic recording. The day I did my flute and alto flute overdubs over Gil’s intricate and lush arrangements made me feel that all those years training as a classical musician culminated to that very moment, to be able to finally use my abilities in a way I hadn’t until then had the opportunity to, and to hear the string arrangements by both Gil and Miho come alive was frankly emotional in how beautiful they were.

THE MUSICIANS, ENGINEERS, VISUALS

I was recently asked in an interview if I could record with anyone, who would it be? I had just finished recording the basic rhythm tracks for ENSO and in reflecting over the amazing array of musicians on the recording, I had to respond: I just did. All the musicians are award-winning, serious heavy hitters; I’ve hyperlinked everyone’s names with their respective bios and pages in case you are not hip to them (be prepared to be wowed!).

The Gil Goldstein recordings are with of course Gil on piano and accordion, Cole Davis (bass), Joyce Hammann (violin), Eriko Sato (violin), Louise Schulman (viola), Thapelo Masita (cello), Freddie Bryant (guitar), and Keita Ogawa (percussions & drums). Rhythm section day 2 was with Misha Tsiganov (Rhodes), Cole Davis (bass), and Keita Ogawa (percussions & drums). Rhythm section day 3 was with David Kikoski (Rhodes), Fima Ephron (bass), Gene Lake (drums), and Sean Harkness (guitar). Miho Hazama’s arrangements overdubs were with Saki Uetsuhara (violin), Hector Falcon (violin), Hiroko Taguchi (viola), Kirsten Jerme (cello), and Steve Wilson (soprano sax). Other guests as mentioned are Lew Tabackin (flute), Asuka (koto), Ursula Rucker (spoken word), and Lucas Arruda who played all the instruments on his song written for this project. I played flute, alto flute, some shakers, and of course all the vocals.

I couldn’t have done this without Dave Darlington of Bass Hit Recordings, and additional thanks to Dave Stoller of Samurai Recording Studio.

Love and respect must be thrown at Takashi Matsuzaki who did the photography as well as my hair & makeup, and to Sumio Takemoto (Papaan!) who did the graphics & art direction of the artwork. And last but certainly not least, Greg Farrell who tirelessly documented the recording process.

THE SONGS

There are 11 songs. 8 are my originals, two which were previously recorded on “Naked Breath 2” in a guitar duet format but given new life on ENSO with fuller arrangements, a Gil Goldstein’s original song “The Soundless Song,” Lucas Arruda’s original song composed for this project which I wrote the lyrics to entitled “Pivot,” and the cover of a Japanese folk song “Ringo Oiwake.”

CROWD FUNDING PACKAGES

I’m sure it’s pretty clear why I’m doing this crowd funding: The SBA Loan is just that, a loan, and money spent towards recording ENSO needs to be returned to the government — the goal is $40,000.00, and this is before I’ve even paid myself. This is a passion project and one I’m confident will not disappoint as I feel this is some of my strongest works yet.

The CDs and downloadable mp3s are set for release on 07.07.2022. The vinyls are set for release on 08.08.2022.

https://www.mondaymichiru.com/

 

 

[JSngry]

A actual press release:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5da60b3653f9b5675d736637/t/624b72cc5832a2096158ba78/1649111757625/MONDAY+MICHIRU+ENSO.pdf

MONDAY MICHIRU ENSO
Sonic Image announces the release of Monday Michiru’s ENSO, an acoustic album of original music.

Japanese-American songstress/flutist/producer Monday Michiru entitled the album ENSO to have two meanings:
円相 = a calligraphy illustration of a circle depicting the Zen Buddhist concept of an expression of the moment as
well as the cycle of life. The other meaning 演奏 = means performance. “I wanted to revisit my roots which started in
classical music and give a nod to the sonic journey that led me to where I am today, to come full circle.” A friendship
forged with Grammy-award winning producer/arranger Gil Goldstein since her return from Japan to New York in
2000 led to the collaboration with Goldstein taking the helm on three tracks, including an original penned by
Goldstein himself set to lyrics attributed to an Otto Luening work. “We’d originally talked with a major label in
Japan about making an orchestrated album all to be produced and arranged by Gil, but then the pandemic
happened. Eventually I was able to get a small business loan and decided to go ahead with the project myself but on
a smaller scale and with a different angle.” Additional collaborations include orchestrator and big band leader Miho
Hazama who lends her lush arrangement skills on two tracks, Brazilian cult artist Lucas Arruda who wrote an
original song that Monday set lyrics to which he produced as well as played all the instruments on, Koto artist
Asuka who has often been a special guest on Monday’s stage from Tokyo to New York to London, Philadelphia
spoken word artist Ursula Rucker, and Monday’s stepfather, the legendary jazz saxophonist/flutist Lew Tabackin,
who takes a solo over Monday’s arrangement of the Japanese folk song Ringo Oiwake. “The first time I worked with
Asuka, she had suggested this song, and as soon as I heard it, I knew I wanted to take a spiritual jazz approach to it. I
really wanted Lew to give it a special vibe with his flute soloing and am psyched to get him on the recording.” Other
musicians include David Kikoski, Misha Tsiganov, Fima Ephron, Gene Lake, Keita Ogawa, Cole Davis, Freddie
Bryant, Sean Harkness, and many more. True to her love of creating hybrids and breaking conventional genres,
perhaps the result of her bi-cultural mix as the daughter of Japan’s National Living Treasure and Jazz Master
Toshiko Akiyoshi as well as jazz saxophonist Charlie Mariano and Tabackin who helped raised her, the album flirts
with jazz, soul, Brazilian, rock and other styles, but somehow comes together naturally. “This truly is a passion
project from the deepest parts of my musical heart. The truth is it’s getting harder and harder to record and
continue on my musical path, not to mention the sense of mortality everyone felt during the throes of the
pandemic, and I felt this album had to be something I could put my all into. It’s also a musical love letter to my
parents, who have been my biggest source of inspiration and encouraged me since my childhood, and to my son who
I see blossoming every day as a young musician.”

1. Ombre of Time 7:12
2. Untethered 7:37
3. Pivot 5:00
4. Cycles 4:02
5. The Soundless Song 5:28
6. The Sound 4:45
7. Ringo Oiwake 7:53
8. Hope Pretended to Sleep 6:04
9. Rise Above 5:36
10. Life 8:13
11. Gossamer’s Touch 5:22

Artist: Monday Michiru
Title: ENSO
Street Date for CDs: 07.07.2022. For Vinyls: 08.08.2022
"Untethered" from ENSO Single Release, and album streaming available: 06.16.2022
File Under: Acoustic Music, Jazz, Soul, Brazilian, Adult Contemporary

www.mondaymichiru.com
www.facebook.com/mondaymichirumusic
www.instagram.com/mondaymichiru

[jlhoots]

Looking forward to this one.

[jazzbo]

Me too, I pre-ordered, thanks for the heads up.