All the Best From Japan

If you know what a koto is, you're in luck with this Madacy-label release. Despite the cover blurb promising "Popular Kyoto Melodies," this appealing collection delivers traditional tunes performed on the Japanese plucked zither rather than songs from the city of Kyoto. Stately and slow, the performances are strong on melody, and the recording does a good job of capturing the complexity of the timbres and harmonics of the vibrating strings. Beginning with "The Cherry Blossoms," whose tune is instantly recognizable, you may find you know far more traditional Japanese songs than you ever suspected. This charming repertoire is populated with motifs popularized by American films, commercials, and even pop music borrowings. The arrangements are uncluttered to the point of starkness, though a bit of sweetening is provided by a shakuhachi flute in the background of "Four Seasons in Kyoto" (there's the city that we love) as well as several other songs. --Bob Tarte