Song of the True Hand (review)

The shakuhachi is the most international of all Japanese traditional instruments —aside from the world-famous taiko drum—and has proven to be adept at "walking on its own" on a global scale (see Blasdel 2002). In its long history this bamboo flute has gone from an instrument used exclusively for religious meditation and alms gathering to an instrument easily adapted to Japanese art music (hôgaku). The span of music for the shakuhachi ranges from the most conservatively regulated repertoire of iemoto guild systems at one end of the spectrum, to avant-garde experimentation and jazz improvisation at the other end. Considering the ready adaptability of this hearty bamboo flute to so many styles of music, it is hardly surprising that the world of shakuhachi performance has become populated by so many Westerners who have traveled to Japan and won hard-earned licenses from recognized schools allowing them to perform and teach. These days, some musicians returning to the West bringing the gospel of "blowing Zen" with all its exotic and mysterious connotations might rely on experience that falls short of such certification and play the instrument as freely as they choose in today's free marketplace of world music; not so, Elizabeth Reian Bennett.

Bearing a Japanese name bestowed upon her by Aoki Reibo II, one of the most renowned shakuhachi masters still living today, Elizabeth Reian Bennett has produced a CD that makes a fine introductory primer to the Zen-influenced honkyoku repertoire of the shakuhachi. One of the first women to be certified a Grand Master (daishihan) of the shakuhachi in a musical world run by men, Bennett displays the results of her accomplishment on this recording that documents an impressive mastery of honkyoku in the Meian style. For those who are looking for a sampling of traditional shakuhachi, this CD is highly recommended as it literally has no "bells and whistles," which is a nice change of pace from the many shakuhachi recordings these days with accompaniment by the various "bells and whistles" of assorted acoustic instruments meant to provide an exotic Asian flavor to an instrument originally played solo for meditation and not for "musical" consumption. Thus, the "true hand" referred to in the title of this CD is fitting indeed.

The first track, "Honte Jyoshi" ("Song of the True Hand"), is in itself an introduction to the instrument in that this short and simple piece is comprised mainly of long-held pitches with very subtle variations of tone color so characteristic of shakuhachi phrasing. As suggested by the word jyoshi, which literally means "tuning," this is a type of warm-up piece that covers the basics of shakuhachi playing, but is important for all players regardless of level. The inclusion of such a piece suggests Bennett's belief in maintaining what is referred to as the "beginner's mind" that prevails in Japanese Buddhist arts. The slow and steady ascent of long, drawn-out tones functions like a demonstration of the main pitches of the instrument, both open-holed and half-holed notes. After a brief climax of relatively busier phrases, the music returns to long tones separated by the crucial element of silence or space (ma) common in Japanese music. Even in this display of the basics of shakuhachi, we can hear the full extent of Bennett's impressive technique. In her decay of the last extended tones there is a delicate sense of fragility and even a feeling of "weakness" that is ultimately more powerful than "strong" tones. This effect is best described by the Japanese aesthetic term wabi, meaning a kind of warped or deliberately imperfect sound, and is something that only the most skilled and sensitive players can execute well. Finally, her choice of such a basic learning piece for the first track is appropriate as it functions as a prelude to the entire set of music that follows on the album.

Much more expansive is the second track, "Tsuki no Kyoku" ("Song of the...