Description:

The second album on the Sony Classical label, "Tokyo Stories," was recorded at Sony Music Nogizaka Studio in Tokyo and features Japanese musicians, focusing on the city of Tokyo, which FT has visited more than 40 times. It is a collection of small pieces by Japan-loving FTs that depict the mental images that come to mind when they are in the city of Tokyo. However, it is not particularly Japanese. Francesco's impressions of Tokyo are filtered through his own filter. Guest musicians included Keiichiro Shibuya, famous for his "Vocaloid Opera," Hiroshi Watanabe, a labelmate of Francesco's from the Detroit techno hall of fame, Transmat (led by Derrick May), and U-zhaan, a tabla player known for his work with Ryuichi Sakamoto. Another is French clarinetist Michel Portal. He is also related to the French clarinetist Michel Portal, who once composed the music for the French film "Max, mon amour" (1986), directed by Nagisa Oshima. (C)RS