For the second installment in my album review series, I want to cover Hochono House. This is truly a one of a kind album, and I've never heard anything else quite like it. For some background, this was released in 2019 by Haruomi Hosono, a Japanese pop legend. Hosono is best known for his work in the late 70's and early 80's that inspired city pop and japanese folk and rock. Hochono House is a tour through Hosono's diverse influences and pulls from all the styles he visited throughout his long career. Despite covering sounds ranging from electronic to psychedelic to folksy, this album manages to retain a coherent identity. It feels like a sonic journey through Hosono's life and work, and offers a distinctly nostalgic flavor without ever feeling tired or recycled.
This album has some absolutely phenomenal wurlitzer parts, paired neatly with vintage electronic tones, drum machine beats, city pop basslines, and occasional live drums. Hosono's smooth, folksy voice ties it all together with gentle, yet upbeat, vocal lines. I highly recommend Hochono House to any fans of off-beat production or 80's pop. Rating: 5/5 Standout tracks: Listen to it all! This album is best-consumed all at once.
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I'm kicking off my blog with something I've been wanting to do for a while - review albums. And I'm kicking off these album reviews (which I hope I'll do at least a few of) with one of my absolute all time favorite albums, Ahmad Jamal Live at the Pershing.
This is my favorite jazz album. Ahmad Jamal is my favorite jazz pianist, and in this recording he exemplifies everything I like about his playing. This recording of "Poinciana" is probably my favorite single jazz recording of all time. Ahmad Jamal's style is often called "minimalist", but Jamal preferred to describe it as "disciplined". He has the discipline not to waste any notes, and when he has nothing special to play he just lays out. Lately, I've been trying to bring something from this approach to my own playing. I have a lot of trouble laying out like that, especially when I solo. I often worry that if I stop playing notes, I'll lose people's attention. Jamal proves here that if your lines are good, people will wait for them. Rating: 5/5 Standout tracks: But Not For Me, No Greater Love, Poinciana Final thoughts: Listen to this album!!! |
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