akira sakata: the tale of the heike

Akira Sakata, a legendary Japanese jazz musician active since the early '70s (Yosuke Yamashita Trio, Akira Sakata Trio) and a marine biologist, has toured and recorded with The Thing, Jim O'Rourke, Bill Laswell, Merzbow, Chikamorachi, et al. The Tale of the Heike is an intense solo performance originally released on CD in 2011, and now available on vinyl for the first time. This edition is expanded to include four pieces from the 2013 DVD release of a live ensemble performance of the piece. Akira Sakata: reading, voices, alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, percussion, bells. On tracks 8-11: Tatsuhisa Yamamoto: drums, percussion; Jim O'Rourke: guitar, vocals; Chizuru Ishii: percussion, taiko, vocals; Yumiko Tanaka: shamisen, reading. Tracks 1-7 recorded at GOK Sound, Kichijoji, Tokyo, in August 2011 by Yoshiaki Kondo. Tracks 8-11 recorded by Jim O'Rourke live at Pit-Inn, Tokyo, on June 24, 2012. Mastered for vinyl in 2015 by Martin Siewert.