Jazz /
Scenery
On Scenery, Ryo Fukui turns a late‑start passion into a quietly astonishing debut: airy, confident trio swing and luminous ballads that distil a distinctly Hokkaido sense of space, light and seasonal melancholy into six perfectly breathing performances.
Mellow Dream
On Mellow Dream, Ryo Fukui deepens the lyrical sparkle of Scenery into something more sculpted and powerful: bittersweet themes, surging originals and a clearer, three‑dimensional swing that many hear as the true apex of his studio work.
Ryo Fukui Trio at the Slowboat 2004
On Ryo Fukui Trio At The Slowboat 2004, Ryo Fukui turns the ninth anniversary of his Sapporo club into a late‑career summit: Phineas‑ and Flanagan‑inspired fire, Shorter‑charged intensity and Slowboat’s living‑room warmth fused into powerful, precise, deeply fulfilled playing.
Live At Vidro '77
On Live At Vidro ’77, Ryo Fukui Trio explode the cool perfection of Scenery and Mellow Dream into raw stage heat: a newly unearthed club tape where “Mellow Dream” stretches past 16 minutes and standards ignite into hard‑swinging, edge‑of‑the‑seat catharsis.
A Letter From Slowboat
On A Letter From Slowboat, Ryo Fukui makes a late‑career return to the studio that feels like a love note to his Sapporo club: standards and originals rendered with stronger touch, deeper emotion and an almost glowing lyricism shaped by a lifetime at the piano.
In New York
On In New York, Ryo Fukui steps into a Manhattan studio with Barry Harris’s rhythm team and delivers a straight‑ahead bebop session: standards and a newly ignited “Mellow Dream” played with weighty touch, elastic swing and an unmistakable sense of intent.
Masao Yagi Plays Thelonious Monk
On Masao Yagi Plays Thelonious Monk (1960), Masao Yagi leads a sharp Tokyo quintet through an all‑Monk program, translating Thelonious’s craggy angles into a supple, swinging Japanese modern‑jazz dialect without smoothing away the music’s built‑in mischief.
Genius Of Modern Music Volume One
** Special Time-Limited Offer ** Genius of Modern Music gathers early recordings that reveal just how far ahead Thelonious Monk was thinking, with different sessions featuring combinations of Idrees Sulieman, Milt Jackson, Gene Ramey, Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, and others. The tunes – “’Round Midnight,” “Epistrophy,” “Ruby, My Dear” and more – present themselves as puzzles: jagged melodies, off‑kilter accents, harmonies that jab when one expects glide. Monk’s pianism, all percussive attack and un…
No Room For Squares
** Special Time-Limited Offer ** On No Room for Squares, Hank Mobley leads shifting line‑ups that include Lee Morgan and Donald Byrd on trumpet, Andrew Hill and Herbie Hancock on piano, John Ore and Butch Warrenon bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The compositions are tightly constructed, full of memorable heads and smart twists that keep everyone on their toes. Mobley’s solos retain his trademark flowing lyricism but with a noticeably harder edge, reflecting the changing climate around him. …
Volume 1
** Special Time-Limited Offer ** Volume 1 presents Miles Davis in a transitional bebop/hard‑bop setting, surrounded by players hungry to prove themselves: J. J. Johnson on trombone, Jackie McLean on alto saxophone, Sonny Rollins on tenor, Horace Silver at the piano, Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums on the original 10" sessions. Later tracks add different personnel, but the through‑line is Davis’ preference for space and contour over sheer velocity. Even at brisk tempos, his muted p…
My Conception
** Special Time-Limited Offer ** With My Conception, Sonny Clark pushes deeper into his own compositional world, joined by Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Clifford Jordan on tenor, Paul Chambers on bass, and Art Blakey and Philly Joe Jones alternating on drums. The music balances intricate structures with a direct, singing quality: heads full of unexpected turns that still lodge in the ear, solo sections that encourage the horns to stretch without losing the thread. Clark…
Mosaic
** Special Time-Limited Offer ** On Mosaic, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers show exactly why the band became a kind of graduate school for hard bop. This edition of the Messengers fields Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Cedar Walton at the piano, Jymie Merritt on bass, and Blakey himself driving the drums, a front line and rhythm section as elegant as they are explosive. The compositions are memorable without ever feeling formulaic, stit…
Somethin' Else
** Special Time-Limited Offer ** Somethin’ Else remains one of those rare records where everything lines up: the room, the band, the material, and the moment. Cannonball Adderley leads on alto saxophone with Miles Davis’s trumpet cutting through alongside Hank Jones on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Art Blakey on drums, a Blue Note all‑star line-up operating at peak equilibrium. The album sounds like a conversation between Adderley and Davis, two distinct voices who know exactly how far they can …
Guitar In Ernest
Born in 1932, Ernest Ranglin stands as one of the most influential session guitarists in the history of Jamaican music. His iconic playing features on countless recordings by legends such as Alton Ellis, Jimmy Cliff, Bunny Wailer, Max Romeo, the Skatalites, the Heptones, and the Congos, among many others.
Produced by Chris Blackwell and originally released in 1961 on Island Records, "Guitar in Ernest" showcases the sophisticated jazz side of Ranglin’s artistry. This exceptional album highlights …
Megalopolis
"Even if it doesn't sell well, let's create records that carry the scent of culture. I want you to perform Japanese jazz by Japanese people." Inspired by these words from the director, Hiroshi Matsumoto decided to record the album "Megalopolis." The concept is "Tokyo." Drawing inspiration from the rapidly changing cityscape seen from the airplane window, Matsumoto began production. Together with Hideyo Ichikawa, Kunimitsu Inaba, and Motohiko Hino, the four musicians positioned themselves in a ci…
Strode Road
'Strode Road' marks the debut of Japanese pianist Toshiyuki Sekine, recorded on May 3, 1978, at ARU Studio. The album presents a collection of jazz standards delivered with a vibrant and cohesive trio performance. Sekine's piano work, complemented by the rhythm section, offers a fresh take on classic compositions, reflecting the burgeoning Japanese jazz scene of the late 1970s.
Complete Live At Town Hall '64
Dolphy’s complete April 4, 1964 Town Hall concert, a wonderful set in splendid Stereo sound quality. This concert was the last they played before traveling to Europe, where Dolphy would die shortly after. This is the first time the whole performance appears on a single set. Two extended songs from the group’s concert in Amsterdam six days later have been added as a bonus.
Mingus Ah Um
When driving a band with his upright bass, Charles Mingus looked -and was- gigantic, in more ways than one. He had huge creative appetites (as well as being hot tempered), creating his own combination of hard bop, blues, and avant-garde jazz. There was no one more multi-faceted than Mingus between the 1950s and 1970s and of his many albums, Mingus Ah Um (1959) is considered to be a jazz classic.
The Rarest On Debut
** Rare original copies. Original 1987 LP pressing on Mythic Sounds, numbered edition. Unplayed copies from a dead-stock, minor wear due to ageing on covers. Comes with original hype sticker ** A treasure trove for jazz aficionados, The Rarest On Debut brings together some of the most sought-after and historically significant recordings from the formative years of Charles Mingus. This limited edition, numbered vinyl compilation (only 1,000 copies worldwide) is a meticulously curated journey thro…
Strings And Keys
** Rare original copies. Second LP pressing on Mythic Sounds, numbered edition. Unplayed copies from a dead-stock, minor wear due to ageing on covers. Comes with original hype sticker ** A landmark in early modern jazz returns: Strings And Keys, the rare and sought-after 1953 debut from legendary bassist Charles Mingus and pianist Spaulding Givens, is available once again in a meticulously crafted, limited edition reissue. Originally released on Debut Records (DLP-1), this session captures two v…