Jonathan Day - Sakura (2023) Hi-Res

‘Sakura’ comes from spent two years spent living overwhelmingly alone in a mountain cabin in the remote Berwyn Mountains in mid Wales. Surrounded by the life force and individuality of trees, stones, water and sky, and through conversations with raven, hare, minnow and songbirds, the work was written, performed and recorded in the evanescent sun, wind and rain, dappling the mountains.
It turned out a surprise. Jonathan says “The album took it’s own course – and is not at all what I was anticipating. I thought I might produce something quite orchestrated and perhaps experimental – traveling new directions and exploring new sounds. Instead the songs are in many ways quite traditional, instrumentally less eclectic and thematically, I suspect, more familiar. Above everything else the album seems to celebrate moments – remembered and imagined – particular times and places that I have come to see have real power in my tiny microhistory. Though I hear the power, beauty and awe of the landscape running through everything, what ties this collection together, in the end, is love. As I say – it took it’s own course.”

Jonathan contributes voice, acoustic, electric and baritone guitars, bass guitar, harmonium, soprano and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet and vibraphone.
Through the mediation of wireless technology the album also features Bert Webb (from France) on cello, Simon Smith (Worcestershire) contrabass, Adam Knight (Shropshire ) vibraphone and Jon Kypros (United States) on shakuhachi.