There have been countless jazz masses and gospel-jazz recordings, with some iconic and influential recordings among them including Mary Lou Williams' Black Christ of the Andes (1963), Donald Byrd's A New Perspective from 1964, Duke Ellington's 1965 Sacred Music Concert, and Dave Brubeck's Truth Is Fallen from 1972, to name a few. Add to this prestigious legacy Eri Yamamoto's Goshu Ondo Suite, her first work for chorus and jazz trio recorded by her longtime group with the 50-voice Choral Chameleon directed by Vince Peterson. Yamamoto came to choral composition by accident. Vacuuming her apartment one day, she was humming the first two lines of "Goshu Ondo" in time to the machine's rhythm. It is a traditional circle dance tune from Shiga near Kyoto, where she spent summers as a child. The light went on. She decided on the spot to write a choral piece based on the song. She spent three months composing longhand in a notebook, then sent a demo to Peterson. Before hearing it, he agreed to undertake it: He trusted Yamamoto's instincts based on her trio recordings. It took another three months to develop the work for performance. The unique lyrical qualities she possesses as a composer serve her well here. She reimagines the centuries-old Japanese song through her own story as a child singing and dancing to it on the shores of Lake Biwa, and as a professional musician in New York City, all refracted through the twin creative lenses of modern jazz and choral music.

1		Part 1
2		Part 2
3		Part 3
4		Part 4
5		Part 5
6		Part 6
7		Part 7
8		Echo of Echo
9		Digital Booklet: Goshu Ondo Suite

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