Q&A: LARAAJI
The Philadelphia born ambient musician, mystic and former actor returns to his first love of piano on his latest album. It’s packed with improvisational pieces designed to bring happiness and light during these dark times.
Words: Sid Smith Portrait: Daniel Oduntan
When Brian Eno was walking through New York’s Washington Park Square one day, he happened upon Edward Larry Gordon playing a zither. Laraaji, as he was better known, had been performing in that same spot for several months, enchanting those passing with his tuneful, mesmeric repetitions and cascades of echoing notes. Entranced by what he heard that day, Eno passed Laraaji his phone number and a few weeks later they were in the studio working on what would be the third in Eno’s Ambient series of releases, 1980’s Day Of Radiance. Since then, Laraaji has released many more records all bearing his trademark spacey improvisations on electric and acoustic zither. However, his latest release, Sun Piano, finds Laraaji returning to piano with an album of improvisations recorded in a church.