In China there is a legend about a magic stone monkey who caused havoc in heaven and hell in his quest for knowledge and immortality, Sun Wukong. We shall hear about him. Later. But first let’s talk about this other Monkey and his Pilgrim Shadows, or is it really another one?
Who is this Wukong – Jing and Manfred wonder, and they wonder…
Wukong and the Pilgrim Shadows is an album, definitely rock, pop, and even more. Wukong is the name of the singer and songwriter. But life is about encounters and this album would not be without The Pilgrim Shadows: Frank Eulry who masterminded the whole project and provided the lavish string and other arrangements, Pete Gunn who brought his British elegance and razor-sharp guitars, Yao Wei her vocals and Chinese inspiration, and Christopher J. for a few bits and pieces. Plus many others who will be quoted in due course.
This section will essentially focus on the songs and how they came about, which actually closely intertwines with the making of this album.
Before we move on there’s also the artwork and this monkey (or is it an ape?) which we owe to the acclaimed graphic artist and musician Klaus Voormann, in a way a last-minute legacy of Jiri Smetana before he sadly departed.
More about these Encounters and others will be found in the dedicated section. Monkey gives some background to this mythical character with a few extracts from Journey to the West. Our friends is essentially about those who contributed in a way or another, without perhaps even being aware of it. The other sections are self-explanatory…