Jazz & Improvisation / Japanese Jazz

**In process of stocking** BBE Music presents J Jazz volume 3, the latest in its definitive compilation series exploring the finest modern jazz from Japan. Since the first volume in February 2018, the J Jazz compilation series has showcased some of the most creative, inspired, and sought-after jazz recorded in Japan during a golden period spanning the 1960s to the 1980s. Illustrating the richness and versatility of the composers and musicians on this collection, the music spans a wide yet cohere…

"Following the sell-out success of our landmark compilation, J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1969-1984, BBE Records is thrilled to present another exploration into the very finest Japanese modern jazz.J Jazz Volume 2 builds on the solid foundation of the first compilation and sees co-compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden once again pick choice sections from their own record collections. They present a deep dive into an intoxicating and beguiling range of styles: from cinematic roaring big-ba…

** Mabumi Yamaguchi Quartet's outstanding modal jazz outing 'Leeward' from 1978 ** Leeward, released in 1978 on Union Record, is the second album by tenor and soprano saxophonist Mabumi Yamaguchi. Already in quartet formation for his previous album, After The Rain, released two years earlier, Mabumi Yamaguchi changes musicians here to surround himself with Ikuo Sakurai on bass, Hideo Sekine on drums and Ichiro Doi on piano and electric piano. Leeward opens with "Dawn", a long and slow piece led …

**In process of stocking** BBE Music presents the seventh release in its highly acclaimed J Jazz Master Class Series: ‘Evolution’ by Shintaro Quintet. Recorded in 1984 and originally released on the private label Streetnoise Records, ‘Evolution’ is a perfect example of stately modal jazz with every one of its five tracks composed by band leader and bassist, Shintaro Nakamura. A cut from the album, ‘A Blind Man’, was included on the BBE Music compilation ‘J Jazz – Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969…

** 2021 Stock ** Hōryū-ji or else Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law is one of the powerful Seven Great Buddhist Temples in Japan. Horyu-ji has entasis, in architecture, the application of a convex curve to a surface for aesthetic purposes. It also serves an engineering function regarding strength, the key word of this collaboration that brought together Sakata, Yermenoglou, Di Domenico and Damianidis in a two days live concert meeting in Duende jazz club at Thessaloniki in May 2018. The rec…

** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Tomorrow by Hideo Ichikawa Trio. Recorded July 27 & August 17, 1976 at Epicurus Studio, Tokyo. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass, Cello, Percussion [Kokiriko], Shaker – Isoo Fukui, Drums, Cowbell, Agogô [Au-go-go], Bells – Hideo Yamaki, Engineer [Recording] – Yoshihiko Kannari, Piano [Yamaha], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Recorder, Bells [Wind-bell], Tambourine, Quena, Wood Block [Wood Brocks], Maracas, Composed By – Hideo Ichikawa, Pro…

** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Samba De Sun by "Sleepy" Matsumoto Quartet. Recorded on March, 18 & 19, 1979. Bass – Takashi Mizuhashi, Drums – Hideo Sekine, Piano – Hideo Ichikawa, Tenor Saxophone – Sleepy Matsumoto.

** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Back to the Sea by Bingo Miki and Inner Galaxy Orchestra. Recorded at Epicurus studio, Tokyo, Japan on June 20, 27, 28 & 29 1978. Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Masatsugu Matsumoto, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Kenji Mori, Bass Guitar – Yukinori Narishige, Bass Trombone – Sumio Okada, Bassoon – Josuke Ohata, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Masao Suzuki, Composed By, Liner Notes – Bingo Miki, Double Bass – Mit…

** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Sei Shonagon by Jimmy, Yoko & Shin. Produced For Three Blind Mice Records, Inc. Recorded June 22, 23, 1978 at AOI Studio Tokyo. Acoustic Guitar, Electric Bass, Vocals – Jimmy Shironaga, Drums, Congas, Bongos, Wood Block, Electronic Drums [Moog Drum], Synthesizer [Mini Moog], Percussion, Vocals – Shin Okabe, Liner Notes – いソノてルヲ, Piano [Steinway], Electric Piano [Yamaha CP-30], Organ [Yamaha YC-30 Combo], Synthesizer [Yamaha CS-60 Combo, Mino…

** In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Lover Man by Yoshio Otomo and Hidefumi Toki Alto-Madness. Recorded May 26, 1975. Alto Saxophone – Hidefumi Toki, Yoshio Otomo, Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Nobuyoshi Ino, Drums – Steve Jackson, Engineer – Yoshihiko Kannari, Guitar – Kazumi Watanabe, Producer – Takeshi Fujii.

** In process of stocking ** Craftman records presents Greensleeves by Shoji Yokouchi Trio Plus Yuri Tashiro. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Kunimitsu Inaba, Drums – Hajime Ishimatsu, Electric Guitar – Shoji Yokouchi, Engineer [Cutting Engineer] – Mitsuharu Kobayashi, Guitar [Folk Guitar] – Shoji Yokouchi, Guitar [Gut Guitar] – Shoji Yokouchi, Liner Notes – 岩浪洋三, Organ [Hammond] – Yuri Tashiro, Producer – Takeshi "Tee" Fujii, Recorded By – Yoshihiko Kannari.

** In process of stocking ** Craftman records presents Maya by Shunzo Ohno Quintet. Recorded July 22 and 23, 1991. Alto Saxophone – Steve Wilson, Bass – James Genus, Drums – Billy Drummond, Engineer – Michael McDonald, Flugelhorn – Shunzo Ohno, Mastered By – Yoshio Kobayashi, Piano – Renee Rosnes, Producer, Liner Notes, Photography By – Takeshi "Tee" Fujii, Tabla – Ray Spiegel, Trumpet – Shunzo Ohno.

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Fine and Mellow by Shigeko Toya. Recorded May 17, 18, and 24, 1973. Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Masayuki Takayanagi, Alto Saxophone – Akitoshi Igarashi, Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Takashi Mizuhashi, Drums – Tetsujiro Obara, Engineer [Recording] – Yoshihiko Kannari, Piano – Masaru Imada, Producer – Takeshi Fujii, Vocals, Piano – Shigeko Toya.

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Concierto de Aranjuez by Hideto Kanai Quintet. Recorded November 2, 1978. Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Mikinori Fujiwara, Bass – Hideto Kanai, Drums – Michael Reznikoff, Piano – Yoshito Osawa, Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Toshihiko Inoue.

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Shuko Mizuno's "Jazz Orchestra '73". Recorded August 23, 1973 (Part 1), and September 2, 1973 (Part 2). Alto Saxophone – Isao Kimura, Kazumi Oguro, Baritone Saxophone – Shigeru Hirano, Drums – Isao Yomoda, Electric Bass – Masaaki Ito, Tenor Saxophone – Mamoru Mori, Seiji Inoue, Trombone – Masamichi Uetaka, Takahide Uchida, Takashi Hayakawa, Teruhiko Kataoka, Trumpet – Kazumi Takeda, Shuji Atsuta, Shin Kazuhara, Yoshikazu Kishi.

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Touch by Isao Suzuki & His Fellows. Recorded November 20 and 26, 1975. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Isao Suzuki, Congas – Yoichi Ogawa, Drums – Tetsujiro Obara, Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Yoshihiko Kannari, Guitar – Kazumi Watanabe, Masayuki Ise, Liner Notes – いソノてルヲ, Piano – Kunihiko Sugano, Producer – Isao Suzuki, Takeshi Fujii.

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Scandinavian Suite 三木敏悟 / Reissue album from Bingo Miki, Tatsuya Takahashi & The Tokyo Union. Originally released by Three Blind Mice in 1977. Recorded May, 15 and 22, 1977.

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Live At The Misty by Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio. Recorded live on December 25, 1974. Tsuyoshi Yamamoto: Grand Piano, Akira Daiyoshi: Ac-Bass, Toshio Osumi: Drums, Koji Moriyama: Congas.

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** A live recording of 1974 released by Hokkaido-born bassist Takashi Mizuhashi from [Three Blind Mice] in his own group after working for Masaru Imada and Isao Suzuki. Seiichi Nakamura (TS) and Shigeharu Mukai (T) participated in the quartet of Yoshio Otomo (AS), Fumio Karashima (P), and Hideo Sekine (D) only for B1 "Sugar". Includes the hit song A1 "When A Man Loves A Woman" sung by Percy Sledge in 1966, and A2 "So What", a thrilling performance of Miles D…

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Debut by Takao Uematsu Quartet/Quintet. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Yoshio Suzuki, Drums – George Ohtsuka, Electric Piano [Fender Piano] – Sadayasu Fujii, Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Yoshihiko Kannari, Producer – Takeshi Fujii, Tenor Saxophone – Takao Uematsu, Trombone – Takashi Imai.

Jinya Disc presents Masayuki Takayanagi Archive 1. The equivalent of the long-out-of-print box, reprinted in simple CDs on standard slimline cases,  without any booklet. Recording studios: Jean-Jean, Shibuya, Pulcinella, Shibuya. Bass – Nobuyoshi Ino (tracks: 5-1 to 5-4), Clarinet, Flute, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Kenji Mori (tracks: 5-1 to 5-4), Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar [Gut] – Akira Iijima, Masayuki Takayanagi, Engineer [整音] – 小島幸雄, Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Sa…

**to be released on 29.05.2020** "WRWTFWW Records is proud to announce the official reissue of Motohiko Hamase’s extremely rare live album Anecdote (recorded in 1987). The album is sourced from original masters and available on vinyl (double LP) for the first time ever as well as on CD. It comes with liner notes from the artist. This marks the sixth release from the Esplanade Series which focuses on the works of Yoshio Ojima, Motohiko Hamase and Satsuki Shibano.Anecdote was recorded live June 12…

Mass Hysterism: In Another Situation, a 1983 record by the late Japanese noise-guitar hellion Masayuki Takayanagi (1932–1991) is one of those albums that always going to be lurking in my attic, so to speak. I can put it away for a while, but it never goes to sleep—it's always calling me. Even if it takes a few years, I'll be back. (As an illustration of this, I obsessed over Takayanagi in a February 2007 post as well.) It's a bashing, clanging exorcism: two electric guitars (the other played by …

"Eri Yamamoto transcended jazz, classical and folk forms in creating her new work for jazz trio and 50-member choir. She has seamlessly melded biography, group improvisation and far-ranging compositional vocabularies in a momentous seven-part suite, featuring her longstanding trio in collaboration with New York-based Choral Chameleon, directed by its award-winning founder, Vince Peterson. The suite is based off of the Goshu Ondo, a traditional circle dance song from Shiga, Japan, where it was su…

The fifth release in the BBE Music J Jazz Masterclass Series has the perfect combination of rarity and exceptional musicality that inspires seasoned collectors to break out in a sweat. Animals Garden by Miyasaka + 5 was originally issued in 1979 on the cult private Japanese label ALM and is reissued for the first time in a 180Gram 2LP edition.Animals Garden was a one-off project led by master drummer Takashi ‘Bear’ Miyasaka and features a powerful and progressive jazz group including saxophonist…

2026 Repress. Guitarist Masayuki "Jojo" Takayanagi (1932-1991) was a towering leader in the Japanese jazz world. His first influence was Lennie Tristano, but through the 1960s and 1970s he explored and pushed the boundaries in free form jazz, leading a group called New Direction, among others. Ever a fighting spirit, in 1982, shortly after recovering from a life-threatening medical condition and surgery, Takayanagi decided to take on a challenging task for any guitarist: To record an entire solo…

Guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto's 1978 jazz-funk and fusion album, written and arranged by him, reissued in 2026 on clear sky blue vinyl in Universal's J-Fusion Renaissance series. Japanese edition with obi.

Berlin, 7 November 1971, the week of the Berliner Jazztage. Terumasa Hino on trumpet and flute with the Frankfurt tenor Heinz Sauer, Peter Warren on bass and Pierre Favre on drums, for Enja's second year. Five long pieces, free and arranged in turns, including Into the Heaven and Dig It.

Yosuke Yamashita and Mal Waldron knew each other from Waldron's years of touring Japan; in 1985 they would record as a piano duo at the Pit Inn. A Tribute To Mal Waldron comes five years earlier, recorded at Tonstudio Bauer in Ludwigsburg on 17 and 18 June 1980 and released by Enja the same year. This is the trio Yamashita formed after the Sakata-Moriyama years: Katsuo Kuninaka on bass, Shota Koyama on drums. Four pieces. Three Waldron compositions, Trane's Soul Eyes, a twelve-minute One-Upmansh…

Masaru Imada's debut album, "Maki," is where it all began. Known as one of Japan's most influential pianists, Imada's career has spanned seven decades, from hard bop to fusion, with over 30 albums under his belt. "Maki" captures the essence of his powerful, emotive touch, blending fresh rhythms with beautiful melodies. The album showcases a mix of standards and originals, like the dynamic "On Green Dolphin Street," the tender "Maki" dedicated to his daughter, and the vibrant "Sea Horse." Release…

From his first full-length album ‘Minima Moralia’ (“Excellent” 8.1 Pitchfork) in 2006, through the subsequent 70+ albums that followed, Chihei Hatakeyama has created a mighty canon of work. Having collaborated with the likes of Ai Kuwabara, Hiroki Chiba, Kei Matsumaru, Gen Hoshino, Terumasa Hino, Tony Allen, and countless others, Shun Ishiwaka is one of Japan’s most prolific modern jazz drummers. Between them they’ve played across ambient, experimental, electronic, pop, hip-hop, jazz, and metal …

ECM debut of the Shinya Fukumori Trio: Shinya Fukumori (drums), Matthieu Bordenave (tenor saxophone), Walter Lang (piano). Fukumori originals and Japanese Shōwa-era songs, recorded March 2017 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines; produced by Manfred Eicher.

Solo piano recital by Masabumi Kikuchi: nine improvisations, Bonfá's Manhã de Carnaval and his own Little Abi. Recorded live on 26 October 2012 at Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Recital Hall, his last solo concert; mixed in Oslo and produced by Manfred Eicher.