Детали релиза : Mori Chieko - Jumping Rabbit (2005) [FLAC (tracks + .cue)]

Executive Producer - John Zorn
Koto, Ju-shichigen, Voice - Mori Chieko
Mastered By - Scott Hull
Producer - Mori Chieko
Recorded By - Giorgio Collodet (tracks: 1, 9), Michael McCoy (tracks: 2 to 8)

Ко́то (яп. 琴 ) или японская цитра — японский щипковый музыкальный инструмент. Кото наряду с флейтами хаяси и сякухати, барабаном цудзуми и лютней сямисэном относится к традиционным музыкальным японским инструментам.

Сходные инструменты характерны для культуры Кореи (каягым) и Китая (цисяньцинь).

История кото как японского музыкального инструмента насчитывает более тысячи лет. Он был завезён в Японию из Китая в период Нара (710—793 гг. н. э. ) в качестве инструмента для дворцового оркестра и использовался в музыке гагаку. Своего расцвета кото достиг в эпоху Хэйан, как неизменный атрибут аристократического образования и времяпрепровождения. Одной из самых известных пьес написанных специально для кото является созданная в XVII веке слепым мастером Яцухаси Кэнгё композиция «Рокудан-но сирабэ» («Музыка шести ступеней») .

На кото играют с помощью накладных ногтей-медиаторов, надевающихся на большой, указательный и средний пальцы правой руки. Лады и тональности настраиваются с помощью струнных подставок (мостов) непосредственно перед началом игры.

Игра на кото является одним из традиционных японских национальных видов искусства, получивших распространение, прежде всего, при императорском дворе. Однако и сегодня этот инструмент пользуется большой популярностью. Благодаря своей пластичности кото находит применение в современной японской музыке и способствует её развитию.

В настоящее время существует два основных типа инструмента:

* Семиструнный «кин» длиной 1 м — используется как соло-инструмент;
* и «со» — длинной от 1,80 до 2,00 м, с числом струн от 13 и выше — используется как оркестровый инструмент.

Chieko Mori is a composer and koto player from Tokyo, Japan. She began learning traditional koto playing and Japanese dance at the age of three, and turned to composing her own music after graduating from university in Tokyo (SFC). Her style of koto playing draws on the classical schools in which she has been trained, but adopts a fresh approach that creates new possibilities for improvising and imagination.

Chieko Mori started to learn the Japanese Traditional Instrument Koto and Japanese Dance since the age of three. After graduated University in Tokyo (SFC), She started to compose her own music and left Japan to find new frontier for her music. In 1999, Chieko moved to Italy Treviso, where She was invited to FABRICA for years and had been to explore musical traditions, especially those between Eastern/Western music, and Acoustic music beyond borders. Chieko Mori though having fully mastered the techniques of classical playing handed down, adopts a fresh approach towards the instrument, suggesting new possibilities for improvising and imagination. Her koto composition had been collaborated with Michael Galasso (violinist - composer) , Phil Minton, Robert Wilson's theater production.In 2005, her first solo album, Jumping Rabbit, has been released from Tzadik in New York.
Spring in 2008, She had composed music for Swedish choreographer Virpi Pahkinen's world premier at Dansens Hus in Stockholm.

Chieko Mori started to learn the Japanese Traditional Instrument the Koto, and Japanese Dance at the age of three.

After graduated Keio University in Tokyo (SFC), she decided to create her own music and left Japan to find new frontier beyond traditional Koto music.

In 1999, Chieko moved to Italy Treviso, where she was invited to FABRICA Benetton research center for years. She had been to exploring sounds by working with musicians of diverse backgrounds, and to find new forms of communication beyond specific musical cultures.

Whilst living in London after 2000, she had been working with Robert Wilson's theater production, involving music composition for Venice Biennale 2001 and Giorgio Armani exhibition with Michael Galasso (Composer-Violinist). In 2005, She released first original album from Tzadik in New York. Since 2007 she had been composed music for Dance production of Swedish choreographer Virpi Pahkinen.

Chieko Mori has fully mastered the techniques of classical Koto, but has adopted a fresh approach towards the Instrument, suggesting new possibilities for improvising and composition. She is particularly interested in creating music live in recording studios and also performing various festivals over 14 countries.

The sound that she plays doesn’t belong to any of the genre such as the West, the Orient, Classics, the Contemporary music, and Avant-gardes, yet she is eager to embrace them all.

Her sound is a voice of her own soul.

In 2007, Chieko established “Koto Studio” her own school for teaching Koto in Tokyo, where she enthusiastically leads the way to a new generation of young Koto Performers.

Studying koto since the age of three, Mori Chieko is one of the world’s most versatile koto virtuosos. She has spent long periods in Italy, London and the United States, collaborated with Michael Galasso, and created music for dance, film and theater, including several productions by Robert Wilson. Her first CD for Tzadik was recorded in both Italy and New York, and presents a beautiful series of pieces for solo koto, and koto and voice. Lyrical and meditative, Jumping Rabbit is a CD of remarkable beauty and heartfelt emotions.