Otomo Yoshihide

Reflecting on his studies with guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi, Otomo Yoshihide plays one of Takayanagi's favorite electric guitars, a 1963 Gibson-175, to record 6 extended and informed free improvisations, including Ornette's "Lonely Woman" and "Song for Che".
"It's been a quarter-century since I broke away from my teacher, Masayuki Takayanagi. In recording this album, I used a 1963 Gibson-175 electric guitar that had been one of Takayanagi-san's favorites. The occasion that led to this guitar coming into my possession was the funeral of Teruto Soejima. Soejima-san, a music critic who had been introducing free jazz and improvised music to people in Japan since the late 1960s, passed away in July of last year (2014).

As is the case with most of the improvisers in Japan, it's impossible to convey in words how much he helped me from the time I was in my teens. During his life Soejima-san had always been concerned about my ungracious leave-taking from Takayanagi-san. At Soejima-san's funeral I met Takayanagi-san's wife, Michiko-san, for the first time in 23 years. I was truly happy to see her. Ginparis Session, Kaitaiteki Kokan, Lonely Woman, Meta Improvisation . . . This instrument was used in the creation of so many works that I love. It was already covered in scratches from many years of use, and more scratches have been added in the six months since I acquired it. I'm sure there will be more scratches to come. This album is the first vestige of those scratches. Soejima-san, Takayanagi-san, Michiko-san--thank you."-Otomo Yoshihide, 2015