What does Gentle Love sound like?

The chirpiest, most laid-back piano and saxophone jazzy duets.

The review of ‘Prescription for Sleep: Ghibli’ by Gentle Love

Gentle Love has been incredibly prolific with their Prescription for Sleep series. Norihiko Hibino and AYAKI have combined their saxophone and piano chops, respectively, and co-arranged music from various computer series to great effect. Their 17th album tackles Studio Ghibli songs. It’s another triumph for those who enjoy a beautiful, laid-back, jazzy affair.

We open with ‘A Town With an Ocean View’ from Kiki’s Delivery Service. The breezy nature of the melody lends itself perfectly to a Gentle Love arrangement, and the extended outros add so much flavour to the original. Extending tracks with additional solos that riff from the original themes, motifs, or chords is something this collection, in particular, does a lot of. Only two tracks clock in under six minutes, and that’s because we’ll have bombastic or stilted go-arounds of themes, or those embellished solos. ‘Merry-Go-Round of Life’ from Howl’s Moving Castle is a great example of using both of those styles, intertwined. We get a jazzy cafe version of the main melody, which then spins off into cascading sax solos, that return to the theme in a different key before giving the piano centre stage. Both Hibino and AYAKI get space to shine before reuniting.

Jazz is a very wide blanket, and that allows for varied interpretations. ‘Marnie’ from ‘When Marnie Was There’ is a gentle ballad, whispering on the wind. The piano is a feather-touch in some places, and when the sax joins in, its softer side shows. ‘Nausicaä Requiem’ from ‘ Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’ leans into blues bar tones. It’s raspy, bassy, and has a low-slung swing to it during its middle, especially when the piano solo section takes over. It sounds full of hard knocks and harder liquor. Longing and smooth is how I’d describe ‘The Path of the Wind’ from My Neighbour Totoro’. What was originally a bouncy, upbeat piece is now a rainy-day snuggle under a blanket. The tinkling of the piano ripples with warmth and comfort whilst the saxophone rings out longingly for the same comfort. The song is transformed.

At over eight minutes, ‘Princess Mononoke Theme Song’ is the longest piece. It’s also the most meditative. Norihiko Hibino in particular is very restrained and breathy with the sax, letting the reflective piano arrangement from AYAKI guide the mood. From the meditative to the slinky and mystical, ‘Theme’ from ‘La Folia’ follows. It’s a careful, slightly pensive arrangement that relishes in curious coils and ambiguity. Is it a seductive tendril? Is it a mystical cave? Or is it… just a bit French? Probably… it’s all that and more. This was a personal highlight because it’s so tonally ambiguous. It also leads perfectly into ‘The Dragon Boy’ from ‘Spirited Away’. The first two and a half minutes are AYAKI’s piano only, and it sets up a delicate balance of mythology, mystique, and emotion. I really appreciate the broken chord structure of the piano leading most of the song here, because it mixes a bejewelled allure with bubbling power.

‘Sosuke’s Voyage’ from ‘Ponyo’ moves us into lazy Sunday vibes with a wonderfully free, bluesy jazz rendition. The piano gallop lets the saxophone float effortlessly, and again, the softer, restrained performance supports that cosy feel. Taking things even slower is ‘The Girl Who Fell From The Sky’ from ‘Castle in the Sky – Laputa’, which slowly builds up to the proud, triumphant finale of its classic theme. The song is an excercise of giving hints of a fully formed arrangement and making the listener wait for the gratification they yearn for. ‘The Boy and the Heron’ also gets a track included, and I’d argue it’s the darkest track on the album. ‘The Master of the Tomb’ is a slow-burn arpeggio of piano, allowing the saxophone to wax and wane over the top. Gentle Love had given the piano centre stage earlier, but this track is all about the freeform escapades of the saxophone. Never overblown, yet meticulously performed, Hibino leads us through the darkness into resolution. The closing track is a Gentle Love original, titled ‘Compassion’. It is a track full of tender heart and pillowy tones. Its main motif is quite simple, and I could hear it playing in a Ghibli movie quite easily.

As always, your mileage will vary depending on how much you appreciate jazz, but Gentle Love has produced some superb arrangements of Studio Ghibli classics here. Don’t come for straightforward like-for-likes. You won’t find them here, and that’s always my preference when it comes to arrangements. Gentle Love has added so much of themselves into the performance and arrangement that these feel like extended live performances. Each instrument gets moments in the sun, but it is their unity as a duo that really sells what Gentle Love creates. Now I need to go on a Ghibli marathon…

Recommended track: Merry-Go-Round of Life

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