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Instrumental comfort

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So I’ve got to admit the last year has been a bit shit. Not as shit as for many, of course. I’m still here, (relatively) healthy, not lost anyone close (though not seen a family member for 15 months), still working, just about, and for now.
But a year plus of living alone during the pandemic has been less than ideal, battling addictions, loneliness, insomnia and more has been less than fun (and best not mention potential effects of Brexit on a remainer expat, or are they all related…)?.

But the point of the post is not to be negative. I’ve found a lot of comfort in instrumental music. Here are four examples of instrumentals I discovered over the last 12 months that have helped a lot. Very different genres, but all provide their bit of comfort. Fancy adding to the list? I could do with more of this kind of thing and I don’t know a better place to ask. I suspect a decent Spotify playlist could emerge.

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Comments

  11. The new Promises album by Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders and the LSO is an incredible piece of work. Essentially a 45 minute composition consisting of a looping chord sequence on piano/harpsichord with 9 movements variously featuring Sanders’ free jazz bursts, sweeping string sections from LSO and low key synthesiser bleeps and swirls. It really is something else, my words don’t do it justice. Highly recommended. Hope this link works…

  13. Even in childhood, I leaned towards instrumental music. I won’t post a link, ’cause it’s over an hour long, but I strongly recommend Steve Reich’s Music for Eighteen Musicians.

    Elsewhere, I find comfort in nyckelharpas

    and joy in my favourite instrument – the Northumbrian pipes

    and I’ve been on a Bert binge recently

  14. I keep coming back to these two instrumental albums, both of which are soothing without being toothless, and leave you wanting to hit the repeat button:

    And then for a lively afters I’ll give side two of Moving Waves a spin:

  18. Well, there is rather a nice piece from a Stephen Merrick over on soundcloud…
    Otherwise it’s wall to wall scottish music that consoles me, the latest EP from Project Smok hitting my ground running.

  24. One of my current obsessions is the Japanese group, Mono, whose stuff is mainly instrumental. I’ve posted them a couple of times on here, to pretty much no response :-), but any excuse to try again…..

    Here’s “Ashes In The Snow” from their 2009 album (which was re released in 2019), Hymn To The Immortal Wind……

      • Weird. It obviously appears fine for me and the video is from the bands official YouTube channel – I don’t see why they would want to impose regional restrictions etc…

        • You’ve stated the band name and the tune, so I can seek it out myself.

          I’ve noticed more of these “not available” messages recently – might be a consequence of me living outside the UK, I don’t know…out of the 58 videos posted in this thread, up to this time stamp, 15 are unavailable for me to view…it seems to be a consequence of posting, as I can usually see them on YouTube if I seek them out.

  29. I am thoroughly looking forward to listening to the many new names mentioned here.

    I can’t resist throwing in a few myself.

    How about a few guitarists …….

    Ernest Ranglin is that most unusual of things, a reggae jazz guitarist. Below the bassline is a superb album which sends me drifting away into my imagination.

    A little nostalgia now

    American primitive guitarist John Fahey also produced music which is extremely evocative.

    How Green was my Valley

    Peter Green was with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers for only a short time before leaving to found Fleetwood Mac. The Supernatural show what he was already capable of

    South African Derek Gripper painstakingly transcribed the kora compositions of Toumani Diabate to play them on the guitar with magnificent results.

    Jairabi

    Finally, Bill Frisell is consistently superb. His music is often insured by images.

    For example his music for the commentless documentary about the Great Flood of 1926.

    And that inspired by the photographs of the people of rural Arkansas by Mike Disfarmer. (1884 – 1959)

    • Great choices there KFD. I’m a big fan of Fahey and was lucky enough to see Bill Frisell a couple of years ago. But Derek Gripper is a new one on me. Fantastic playing, especially when you know he’s transcribed it from Diabate.

  34. What a gem this thread is!

    What better way to start your day than with some spelemanslag music? Uplifting sounds to start your day. Both bands are from Oslo.

    Chateau Neuf Spelemanslag

    Majorstuen

    And why not a little Hardanger Fiddle?

  35. Let’s have something rather lovely from this year, shall we?
    The reliably excellent Chuck Johnson from his splendid new album “The Cinder Grove”

  36. Not had a chance to listen to it yet, but I’ve enjoyed getting started on a playlist for this thread.

    That cheeky algorithm at Spotify decided to give me a hand and suggested a few tracks.

    First suggestion? Yer Topp! And it’s actually quite agreeable.

    Maybe doing an instrumental brings out another side of an artist or band?

    This is of course provisional. I hope that this thread continues to Hamperville and beyond!

    • Oscillate Wildly and Money Changes Everything were wonderful instrumentals. The latter was used for Bryan Ferry’s single The Right Stuff. Morrissey’s book tells the story of him turning up early for a Smiths recording session and find Bry in there with Johnny Marr. Apparently this was the first Morrissey knew of it – and Ferry sheepishly shuffled off, sensing the awkwardness.

  37. We haven’t had an oud layer yet. To my shame, I only know of one, Anouar Brahem from Tunisia, one of ECM’s finest artists and a big favourite of mine.

    And while we are talking of Stockholm favourites, let’s have a mention for this magnificent trio from France, Italy and Sweden. Their music is the soundtrack for a film that exists in my head.

  38. Amazing response. Some wonderful new (for me) music here. And there’s already a spotify playlist! More of a lurker than a participant generally, but this is proof that you’re a kind and knowledgeable bunch. Thanks one and all.

    • We’ve had some wonderful things today but that really was something else.

      I notice that the koto is played by Karin Nakagawa who made an album with Lena Wiilemark which @Locusr rather liked.

      Very logically, this track is on an album called Debussy. Full details in the YT comments.

      While we’re in a relaxed Japanese mood, let’s listen to the exquisitely delicate sounds of the Eri Yamamoto Trio.

        • You are on a role this evening @fitterstoke-San!

          I’ve worked out that the tune is called Sakura. but did you work out the name of the artist?

          Incidentally the comments on this track are a great read. Disuccions f different Asian musical instruments.

          For example:

          “The (Chinese) gu zheng is on the pentatonic scale and the (Japanese) koto is on the hirajoshi scale. that is a huge factor when coming down to music. there is really no sound difference other than the scales and the koto having a sharper tone.”
          Sorry! I’m sure you all knew that!!

    • That was interesting, Retro. Transpositions could be an interesting thread in their own right. Timw to meet two maestros.

      Off to Crete first to meet Irishman, Ross Daly, who is a master of the Cretan Lyre.

      Next stop Hawaii. We’re going Over the rainbow with Jake Shimabukuro.

    • …and also…thinking about John Martyn made me think of John Stevens…unfortunately, whoever posted this posted the complete album and it’s not all comforting…
      Go to 19:20, listen to “Spirit of Peace (Tribute to Elvin Jones)” and consider…

  45. I completely agree, @Twang.

    Threads like this is what the AW is all about: knowledgeable, enthusiastic music, whisky, film, poetry and fiction lovers sharing stuff they like. That’s why I keep coming back.

    Let’s talk about the kora. Thanks largely to Toumani Diabate, one of my favourite musicians on the planet, I am a very big fan,

    It combines so beautifully with other instruments.

    Seckou Keita and Welsh harpist Catrin Finch. Exquisite! Who in their right mind does not want to hear Seckou and Catrin playing medieval Welsh music?

    Ballake Sissoko with French cellist Vincent Segal. Try their album Chamber Music. It’s wonderful.

    Finally, here’s Toumani back in the day in a “supergroup”, Songhai, with two of the guys from flamenco superstars Ketama, and Danny Thompson.

    Kora Blimey! What a band!

    YouTube keeps forcing me to watch more kora clips.

    Ok then, I will!

    • I don’t think you will get many complaints, Bamber. That Petra is a talented lass.

      I was looking for some pedal steel and came across this delightful oddity from the KLF of all people.

      From their ambient album Chill Out.

      That made me think of this beautiful piece by Paddy MacAloon.

      I stumbled across a lovely version of the theme song from My Neighbour Totoro on Spotify

      I foolishly started googling. Off I went down a delightful rabbit hole!

      To begin with I found this beautiful solo on the Japanese flute: the shakuhachi.

      And then Joe Hisaishi who wrote much of the Ghibli music.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQx4cEwKD5E

      And then this charming lady harpist playing the same tune.

  48. I love Radka Toneff’s version of The Moon’s a Cruel Mistress.

    But Charlie and Pat’s, from their album Under a Missouri Sky, is lovely too. What an amazingly unhip audience! German TV never ceases to delight me

    Do you want the Full Metheny Monty? Me too!

    Letter from home

    Have you heard

  50. That looks very promising, Steerpike.

    Lovely evening here is Stockholm so I’m taking us back in time now to 1983 and Virginia Astley’s Pastoral English Ambient album : From Gardens where we feel secure. A gem!

  51. Sleepwalk. A 1959 pedal steel classic from Santo & Johnny.

    .
    And part of a performance of “Apollo – Atmospheres & Soundtracks” by Brian Eno/Roger Eno/Daniel Lanois. From BJ Cole & Icebreaker.

    • Two gems there, Mike! What a beautiful instrument the steel guitar can be.

      By way of complete contrast, here’s Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa. 30 minutes long and a quite stunning piece of music. None more ECM!

      These musicians are playing their socks off in front of an audience with some serious coughing problems. Oddly enough, that just adds to the intensity of the performance.

  58. I mentioned the wonderful North Sea Radio Orchestra over on the “Rowdy 2 thread.

    Their gentle, suggestive chamber pop belongs even better over here.

    Like the Unthanks, the NSRO have done an album of Robert Wyatt songs.

  59. Recently, when we doing music for Burns Night, I discovered this wonderful Scottish instrumental trio: Talisk. Music that simply floats off onto the air, taking the listener with them.

    Montreal

    Farewell

  61. In celebration of the 100th comment on this thread, a few treats from Norway and then Sweden

    Gjermund Larsen Trio – Bachslått

    He used to be in Majorstuen, a band from Oslo who made a big impression at Celtic Connections.

    Next up, ECM superstar , Jan Garbarek.

    Over to Sweden for some remarkable pianists.

    Jan Johanssen

    Esbjörn Svensson

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7KXq6RJ0PA

    Jan Lundberg

    • That is excellent, Kid.

      But it does not belong here, I’m nicking it for the playlist for my “Rowdy Instrumentals” thread.

      I’ve just realised that it was Gregoire Manet who did that gorgeous album, Amercana, with Bill Frisell and Romain Collin.

      It ought to have sold by the lorryload!

  63. Couple of quiet ones from recent releases:

    Crooner/guitarist’s lovely lockdown musings on Pat Metheny’s more hummable hits.

    Just a beautiful piece of solo piano from the late Japanese jazz pianist.

    • Both those albums really sound worth a listen. I do like the idea of Metheny’s tunes being played on a solo guitar.

      Here, midst the snows of Toledo, is Ana Alcaide playing her Swedish nyckelharpa.

  67. Partly just to keep my thread alive. This is gorgeous but does anyone else get a Wind of Change ambient cover feel off this? There’s definitely a bit of the chorus there.

  68. The charango is an ancient instrument from the Andes which comes in several different sizes, each with its own name: walaycho, runroco, chillador, charangon…..

    Gustavo Santaolalla is a maestro. He uses it a lot in the music he writes for both movies and video games, The Motorcycle Diaries and The Last of Us, to name but two.

    It’s a rather lovely sound.

    Traditionally the instrument is made from the back of an armadillo.

    Not too many get made in London or Stockholm!

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