| A Book of Luminous Things | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 14, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | March–April 2011 | |||
| Studio | Castle Oaks Studios, Calabasas | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 50:49 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | EMI Music Poland/Blue Note | |||
| Aga Zaryan chronology | ||||
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A Book of Luminous Things is the fifth studio album by the Polish jazz singer Aga Zaryan. It was released on June 14, 2011 by EMI Music Poland and Blue Note Records.
The album contains twelve compositions to the poems of Czesław Miłosz and his favourite poets: Anna Świrszczyńska, Jane Hirshfield and Denise Levertov. In October, 2011 EMI Music Poland published another version of the album, called Księga olśnień (which is the Polish translation of A Book of Luminous Things) with the same songs being performed in Polish. Apart from the language, the only difference between the two versions is in the song This Only (Polish: To jedno), which in the English version is performed by Aga Zaryan as sole vocalist, while in the Polish version she was joined by Grzegorz Turnau.
Recorded at Castle Oaks Studios in Calabasas, California in spring 2011.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Composition | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Music Like Water" | Jane Hiershfield | Michał Tokaj | 5:11 |
| 2. | "Like a He-Bear and She-Bear/ Falling Asleep/ Sleepy Eyelashes" | Anna Świrszczyńska | Michał Tokaj | 4:39 |
| 3. | "This Only" | Czesław Miłosz | Michał Tokaj | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Eye Mask" | Denise Levertov | Michał Tokaj | 2:34 |
| 5. | "Autumn Quince" | Jane Hiershfield | Michał Tokaj | 5:48 |
| 6. | "Meaning" | Czesław Miłosz | Michał Tokaj | 3:16 |
| 7. | "A Gift" | Denise Levertov | Aga Zaryan, Michał Tokaj | 3:42 |
| 8. | "A Parable of the Poppy" | Czesław Miłosz | Aga Zaryan, Michał Tokaj | 4:20 |
| 9. | "I Talk to My Body" | Anna Świrszczyńska | Aga Zaryan, Michał Tokaj | 4:06 |
| 10. | "A Song on the End of the World" | Czesław Miłosz | Michał Tokaj | 4:54 |
| 11. | "On Prayer" | Czesław Miłosz | Michał Tokaj | 4:30 |
| 12. | "This World" | Czesław Miłosz | David Dorůžka | 4:05 |
Personnel
- Aga Zaryan – vocals
- Michał Tokaj – piano
- Larry Koonse – guitar
- Darek Oleszkiewicz – double bass
- Munyungo Jackson – percussion
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Poland (ZPAV)[1] | Platinum | 20,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||