Japan’s BGM Series: The Nordisle Bois Orchestre and the DENON NIPPON COLUMBIA Orchestras and Ensembles
The Denon Nippon Columbia company of Japan organized several orchestras for their decade long output of easy listening releases from roughly 1986 to 1995. Their chief characteristics were (a) their mostly DDD quality studio recordings produced according to very demanding audio standards, (b) their moniker of a label for light orchestral easy listening – BGM, standing for ‘Background Music’ – while in fact the arrangements of the tunes were anything but ordinary background listening; a third characteristic was (c) the compiler’s ability to produce themed sets of their exclusive recordings.
The BGM series was also distinctive for
its definition of ‘mood’ through its cover art. This featured simple portraits
of homely elegance, such as a flower vase by a scenic window with the
background dressed in soft hues by the photography, or a wine decanter with
accompanying glasses ready for an intimate evening at home. Alternatively,
flowers dress up a breakfast table filled with a plate of eggs done ‘over easy’
accompanied with a cup of tea and a diary. Other moods were scenic: arresting
portraits of wild lilies, panoramic snapshots of New York’s Brooklyn bridge,
London’s Thames bridges shrouded in early morning mist, or scenes of a highway
winding through parkland, or they could be snapshots of meadows, train journeys
over rivers, palm beaches or landscapes from night dining scenes in Rome,
Paris, Brussels or New York. BGM is music to go with the simple joys of everyday
moments of beauty and beautiful landscapes.
Who are the artistes in the Denon BGM roster?
Here are some of my guesses from listening and reading the English track listings, without referring to translations
from the Japanese liner notes:
Nordisle Bois Orchestre/Tommy Oscar Grand Orchestra: a moniker for a string and percussion orchestra that sports a
mostly ‘pop rhythm’ with plenty of baroque influences from tightly scripted
twinkling flourishes in the piano notes to featuring harpsichord and violins
being played on a pop tempo. If you are collecting music by this orchestra,
their interpretations of Madonna’s hits ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ and ‘La Isla
Bonita’ are stunning for their string orchestrations. The same goes for their
renditions of Whitney Houston’s ‘Greatest Love of All’ and ‘I Wanna Dance with
Somebody’. Equally inspiring are their choral-themed arrangements on ‘I Like
Chopin’ – very different from Gazebo’s original or Paul Mauriat’s fluid,
semi-jazz piano, string and drum treatment – and the Patti Labelle and Michael
MacDonald hit ‘On My Own’. The very lush, almost baroque, interpretation of the
Julio Iglesias-Diana Ross hit ‘All of You’ is also a stunning collectable for
all fans of easy listening.
The Gene Cosmann Orchestra: a mostly trumpet and saxophone fronted orchestra with a large wind section. If the arrangements for particular tunes permit, Gene Cosmann goes for a big band sound ala Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman. This orchestra takes on mostly 1950s and 1960s hit melodies that are transformed instrumentally. I think it is also a fine testimony of how far reaching the US pop influence was on Japanese instrumental players from the era of the 1950s onwards.
Jun Norsiah Strings/ a.k.a. Croad Terry Grand Orchestra/ a.k.a. Movin’ Dream Orchestra: Their sound is crafted to interpret 1960s and 1970s film themes. This orchestra arranges melody for mostly strings and solo piano, with almost zero percussion. The latter is substituted for by the extensive use of the double bass and the plucking of violin strings. Some of their outstanding interpretations are 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head' and 'Summertime in Venice'.
The Columbia Ballroom Orchestra: an act of simply ballroom flair – waltzes, rhumbas, paso doble, foxtrot and cha-cha! They have also been released under the exclusive ‘LET’S DANCE’ DENON series containing Volumes 1-10.
Ensemble Jack and Jill’s/The Baroque Ensemble: This name sounds like a folk group that performs for children
but it actually is a classical ensemble of brass, violins, piano and a little
percussion. According to information on discogs.com, they were formed by a
domestically renowned violinist and music composer in Japan. They interpret
classics in light arrangements that often have a swinging tempo. They sound
like a 10 member group. They play everything from Brahms, Mozart to Vivaldi,
plus the occasional crossover composition from John Bettis and Glenn Miller.
The Sea Mailmen: An enigmatic name for what sounds like a quintet that covers the same repertoire as the Ensemble Jack and Jill’s. Why the association with the sea? It is anybody’s guess or it might be deliberately evocative of maritime postmen who play music in between deliveries!
Fighting Cats’ Band: a moniker for the pure pop music combo of
guitar, synthesizer, piano, drums. The cover everything from pop hits of the
1980s to movie themes from action films of that decade like ‘Top Gun’, ‘Back to
the Future’, and ‘Ghostbusters’ to Latin jazz fusion.
There you have it!
The BGM series is all about music that dresses up in elegance all of life’s
moments from gentle awakenings in the mornings to lazy lounging afternoons, to city
vibes in urban drive-arounds, to romantic walks by the lamps of the riverside
promenade. The sonic clarity is first rate. This is clearly something that the
Japanese engineers at Denon Nippon Columbia worked hard on. Collect the BGM
series and you’ll be collecting life’s memories all the same, and in crystal
clear recollection.
ALAN
SEPTEMBER 2022
