Miya Masaoka Trio's lyrics & chords

Japanese koto wonder Miya Masaoka teams up with bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille for a set of originals, traditional tunes, and — as indicated in the title — Monk numbers. The koto is a harp that has existed in Japan since antiquity. It and the shakuhachi flute are the only two traditional instruments of Japanese origin that co-exist in royal court music as well as command a long, richly variegated folk lineage. Masaoka is first and foremost a folk musician and an improviser; her jazz leanings inform them both. Her command ...read more