Paniyolo + Akio Watanabe: Passage of Sky
Schole Records

A recording of immense charm and appeal, Passage of Sky (Sora Mo Sukoshi) is a fifty-two-minute collection of duets by acoustic guitarist Muneki Takasaka (aka Paniyolo) and steelpan player Akio Watanabe. The results of their collaboration couldn't be purer: enveloped by the warmth of a wood-burning stove, the duo recorded the album's nineteen sketches inside a lodge at the Yatsugatake Annex Inn in February 2019. No electronic trickery was involved and no post-production enhancements applied. The endearing folk duets on Passage of Sky are the serene sounds the two birthed together at that location.

Takasaka's work will be familiar to longtime Schole listeners, the Fukushima-born artist having issued a number of Paniyolo albums on the label. Watanabe, who lives in Matsudo, Chiba prefecture, released his first solo album, In My Room, in May 2018 and when not playing the steelpan is also a father and Buddhist monk. On Passage of Sky, each musician is credited as the composer of a small number of pieces, but for the most part they're joint creations. Exhibiting the refinement of his guitar technique, Takasaka takes a rare solo ride in “Scene,” as does Watanabe in his own sparkling “Passage,” but the recording is, for the most part, duets.

The album's delicate tone is established early by “Sprout” and “Sun Shower,” music as pretty and graceful as might be imagined. Bright sonorities emanate from the steelpan softly, and consequently a pleasing balance is achieved between the instruments. The two give us one lovely and heartwarming reverie after another, whether it be the transporting “Wood Stove,” lilting “White,” aptly titled “Smile,” or Watanabe's lullaby “Milk.” The mood is largely upbeat, but there are a few pieces, “Twilight” and “Blue” among them, where the sweetness of melancholy and wistfulness dominate. All but one of the tracks fall into the one- to three-minute range, the exception being “Lake,” whose slow, dream-like effect is enhanced by the presence of water sounds in the background.

December 2019