Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media

2025 much needed repress!! Since its formation in 1969, Soul Media had been advocating a fusion of jazz and rock. The next step along that line was this album, In the Groove, recorded in 1973. The sharpness of jazz is brought to the forefront, with rock melting in to give it an edge, and funk injected to imbue it with power and resilience. The result was a strong, sophisticated, and simply "cool music" that could not be categorized within existing genres such as jazz rock, jazz funk, or fusion. This work is also described as a response to The Crusaders, a group that Jiro Inagaki was paying attention to at the time. His aim was right on target.

With this album, Soul Media acquired a "sophisticated black feeling" and headed for their final destination, Funky Stuff. By 1973, Inagaki had refined Soul Media into a razor-sharp ensemble capable of navigating complex jazz passages while maintaining an irresistible groove. In the Groove captures the band at their peak—technical mastery serving soulful expression, East meeting West in a sound that transcended borders and categories.

The interplay between Inagaki's saxophone and the rhythm section creates a hypnotic tension throughout the album. Funky bass lines anchor exploratory solos, while tight horn arrangements punctuate the proceedings with precision and swagger. This is music that thinks and moves simultaneously—cerebral without losing its physical impact.

Essential listening for fans of Japanese jazz-funk, spiritual jazz, and the global fusion movement of the early '70s. A landmark recording that still sounds fresh over 50 years later.