The hayashi flute and percussion ensemble is an important part of Kabuki music. Much of the music they play originates in the Noh theater, but much of it is unique to Kabuki, special percussion patterns developed to match shamisen music. They also play a wide variety of percussion instruments and sound effect instruments. In particular, the huge taiko drum in the geza is a fundamentally important part of Kabuki music. Beat in various patterns, with different kind of sticks, it suggests wind, snow, rain and waves. The flute and percussion ensemble is called hayashi, just as in Noh, but including all the things these musicians do, they are called "narimono."

JTRAD 071

The Okina is the oldest and most sacred ritual in the repertory of Noh, predating Kan'ami and Zeami so much that some of the music, especially the hand drum patterns for the Sambaso, is different from that in any other Noh play. The central figure (played by the Shite actor) is an old man, a symbol of longevity and eternal youth. This is the only play where the Shite puts on the mask while on stage and one major function of the secondary Senzai character (played by the Waki actor) is to carry the box containing the mask. A Kyogen comic actor plays the Sambaso. He also wears the mask of an old man, but this mask is white. Often the Okina is called the "white okina" and the Sambaso the "black okina." The Sambaso performs two special dances, one with a lot of foot stamping and one involving the vigorous shaking of a wand covered with bells, both dances of agricultural fertility and prosperity.
The Okina ritual was introduced into Kabuki, where it was performed on important ceremonial occasions, but in particular, the Sambaso dance became popular. This is perhaps because Kabuki didn't like to approach Noh too closely since it was forbidden to commoners and also because Kabuki felt a sense of kinship with Kyogen since many parts of Kabuki grow out of Kyogen. In Kabuki, Sambaso became a part of the daily ritual of the theater and a Sambaso dance always opened the program, performed by one of the lowest ranking actors at the crack of dawn, long before any but the most faithful audience members arrived.
Since Sambaso was such an important presence in Kabuki, there are many different versions of Sambaso as independent dances, some very serious, some rather strange, like a Sambaso that sticks his tongue out and a Sambaso that appears in the form of a giant marionette.
This recording features the distinctive flute and percussion music used for Okina in Kabuki without any singing or shamisen music.

Performers:
Hayashi ensemble led by Katada Kisaku

JTRAD 072

Yamabushi, or "mountain priests" were tough ascetics who underwent austerities on mountains and were thought to have special powers. In Kanjincho (for the story of the play, see JTRAD 027), Benkei has had his master Yoshitsune dress as the humble porter to a party of Yamabushi. This is a modern piece using just the flute and percussion ensemble that tries to evoke the scene of Yoshitsune and Benkei at the barrier of Ataka.

Performers:
Hayashi ensemble led by Katada Kisaku

JTRAD 073

In Asian tradition, the shishi is not actually a lion, but is a mythical spirit guarding the stone bridge that leads to the Buddha's paradise. The shishi is often depicted together with peonies, said to have dew that is soothing to the shishi and playful butterflies that tease it. There are many plays and dances related to shishi in traditional Japanese performance. The most famous is the Noh play Shakkyo (The Stone Bridge), a fifth category play that provides many of the words and images in other shishi songs and dances. This recording includes the percussion music that is used for lion dances in Kabuki.

Performers:
Hayashi ensemble led by Katada Kisaku

JTRAD 074

One of the important jobs of the percussion ensemble is providing various musical effects to set the mood in Kabuki. When ghosts or ghost flames appear in Kabuki, usually their appearance is marked by eerie flute music. The pattern of the beating of the big drum is supposed to suggest supernatural occurrences. This excerpt gives an idea of the use of the big drum for sound effects. Performers:
Hayashi ensemble led by Katada Kisaku