Music of Life

Masa plays with Osamu Kitajima and the London Symphony Orchestra on the sixth track of this CD. Entitled, An American Variation, the piece is a wonderful blend of western orchestral music and instrument s with thoroughly Japanese themes, played on traditional Japanese instrum ents, the koto (Kitajima) and shakuhachi (Yoshizawa).

Of the piece, the composer, Joseph Curiale, says:

Originally written in 19871 and re-orchestrated in 1997, 'An American Variation', which can be considered my symphonic opus #1, is an essay of the deeply emotional experiences I had living in Japan. In addition to the beautiful trumpet solos played by the legendary Prinicpal Trumpet of the London Symphony, Maurice Murphy, 'An American Variation' features two traditional Japanese instruments: the Koto, played by my longtime friend, the unique stylist Osamu Kitajima, and the deeply reflective and evocative Shakuhachi played by Masakazu Yoshizawa.