Tim O’Brien is a sucker for homespun wisdom and suggestions for simple improvements for the general well being of his listening audience. Born in West Virginia in 1954 and 23 lps later his craft continues on a raft of instruments and collaborations with artists of rankly different persuasions. His voice seems particularly endearing, maybe like the father of one of your friends who always seemed to understand you when you visited their house but had trouble explaining yourself when he inquired what you were doing. He has that understanding, reassuring, knowing kind of voice. Here’s a recent record cover, “Pompodour” from 2015.
Take a moment to meditate on its subtle ingenuity. How long must it have taken to come up with something so simple and beautiful? Here’s a duet he did with the British singer Kate Rusby.
When the kids were growing up I began finding things to read to and with them and came across Fulvio Testa.
An Italian architect and painter who is not a household name, the books of which I immediately sought out. The are of a vintage that perhaps appeal to the eternal child in us all, that I cannot recommend highly enough. Simple, profound, comical. Maybe Fellini for kids.
British singer Linda Thompson
Linda’s genius may have gotten swallowed up by that of her former husband, but deserved it not. Her variegated voicings could tie you up in yesses and nots! She holds an exalted position in the folk rock experiments of the 1960’s and early 70’s
“Kimio Eto – Koto Master
The Koto is the national instrument of Japan. It consists of thirteen plucked silken strings each with a moveable bridge capable of tuning.
Michio Miyagi (1894-1956) is regarded as being responsible for keeping the Koto alive when traditional Japanese arts were being forgotten and replaced by Westernization. One of his most well known disciples was Kimio Eto (1924-2012). Both men were blind, Miyagi at 8 from a degenerative disease from birth, and Eto at 5 from an accident.
Plastic Fantastic was a used vinyl store in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. It was there in 1976 for the price of $2.45 that I purchased Sound Of The Koto by Kimio Eto. I have treasured this recording ever since. Three of the pieces on the album were written and recorded as Koto duets, with Eto playing the standard Koto and a 17 string bass version, originally developed by Miyagi. While the recording is out of print, used copies are available on eBay and Discogs and a CD compilation, also called Sound of the Koto came out in 2013 and is still in print.
He moved to the United States in the 1950s with the goal of popularizing the Koto in the Western world. While that didn’t happen, he became a well know figure in music recitals and concerts and was a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by the legendary, Leopold Stowkowski.
In 2020 three Koto and bass Koto players in San Francisco produced a virtual concert of 9 compositions by Mr. Eto.
One can stream the entirety of his 1962 Elektra recording, Art Of The Koto – choose the FLAC version for the best audio https://archive.org/details/kimioetoartofthekoto_202009 Kimio Eto – Koto Master
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Instrumentals are especially convenient mechanisms for marrying the imagination of the artist to their listeners. Who knows what reactions the audio canvas will inspire? I haven’t been able to stop listening to this one from Mr. Crenshaw (a king of guitar kool) since discovering it about a year ago. For me it has this feeling of a pliable optimism that flies in the face of grave troubles and is not superficial. Listen to it in your car a few times after things haven’t been going that well and see if you agree.
Cassandra Jenkins It’s You
Cassandra Jenkins