Japanese Jazz Revisited

[clifford_thornton]

Not the same as the Sound Creators LP. It's possible "Jha" is an excerpt from the 28 June concert not on the original LP, but I doubt it -- recording quality on the Sound Creators album is far better. 

[mhatta]

9 hours ago, Late said:

I checked the credits for Station '70, and it's also a 23 minute disc. First track is "Thursday/Gradually Projection" (18:36); second track is "Jha/Mass Projection" (4:48). Recording date is June 18, 1970 (track 1), and "May or June" 1970 (track 2). 

Live at Jazzbed is a recording from a live date on Sep. 27,1970, so roughly 3 month after Kaitaiteki Kohkan.  Both Live at Jazzbed and Station '70 are made from old cassette tapes recently discovered in Takayanagi's study.

Edited March 21, 2022 by mhatta

[Late]

Going off on a tangent here, but I can't get enough of this album recently:

[clifford_thornton]

yeah, that's a good one. I have an old CD edition of it around here somewhere...

Black Editions are doing a 3LP box set of 1970 Takayanagi recordings that PSF put out on CD roughly a quarter century ago. I assume some level of remastering will occur.

[Late]

Montreux Afterglow

Hot Menu

[Late]

寿限無／山下洋輔

[Big Beat Steve]

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but since there do not seem to be other threads about Japanese jazz around ...

To make matters worse , this is not about a reissue but about an original:
The current discussion re- books on Japanese jazz in the Jazz Books thread has prompted me to revisit related items in my collection.
Among my few items of Japanese jazz from the eras of my stylistic preferences, I have the below 10-inch album from 1960 (bought many years ago out of curiosity about "older" jazz from that part of the world at a price that you can take chances at):

As can be seen, there is nothing in non-Japanese characters except the song titles to indicate which track is by whom.
I tried to find info on this on Discogs but the record is not listed there. And searching further in the Bruyninckx discography yielded NOTHING at all either. Recordings by Fumio Nanri do not match the period and labels (and even for the older ones they are reissues and not the original labels), and the Eiji Kitamura sessions listed are much more recent (and incomplete, BTW - there is an album by him from 1961 on Youtube). And I drew a total blank for Ikeda, Fujika and Kayashima. As if they either had not recorded beyond this LP unknown to Bruyninckx or their recordings have eluded discographers.

Admittedly I had no idea this item is such an extreme obscurity.

Through some educated (?) guesswork in deciphering characters on Discogs (where his LP on Victor LV-130 from that period is listed) I established that tracks A-2 and B-2 are by Eiji Kitamura. And stylistic criteria would indicate that A-1, B-1 and B-5 are by Fumio Nanri.

My questions to forumists who may have some knowledge of the Japanese language or other info (does LORD list this LP?):

Can anyone confirm my guess that the other tracks are by the artists listed in the order on the forn cover?
I.e. A-3, B-3 by Misao Ikeda, A-4 and B-4 by Koji Fujika, and A-5 by Koji Kayashima?

Thanks a lot to anyone who may be able to supply any info!

 

[Niko]

i sometimes use google translate, word by word, taking everything with caution and keeping in mind that japanese names are usually given last name first... so this suggests that Ikeda is indeed the artist behind A3 and B3... less luck with Fuijika and Kayashima... but the artist names of A2B2 and A4B4 have quite a bit of overlap... apparently that is the japanese way of saying "quintet", link, so that would confirm your suspicion... 

[Big Beat Steve]

Thanks Niko. That does help.
I had considered using an online translation tool but like you said, the Japanese word order is different (so this increases the "trials and errors"), and I had not found a quick way of getting the Japanese characters from the jpg file into the tool.

[clifford_thornton]

Those Yamashitas upthread are damn good.

Eiji Kitamura is the only name there I recognize. He's on a Swing Journal All-Stars LP that's in the racks.

[Late]

These are the Yamashita albums I'd like to see reissued. Both were on compact disc circa 2008. I missed the short window of opportunity.

Frozen Days in particular is very strong. I think it's a better album than the two Yamashita albums linked to above. (Still, I'm glad to have them.) I hope Octave Lab keeps reissuing Japanese Jazz and 70's jazz. Another Japanese jazz album, from 1980, that I'd love to see reissued (there was a compact disc reissue out in 2015; once again, I missed the window) is Akira Sakata's Pochi:

I haven't heard everything by Sakata, but this one has to rate as containing some of his very finest playing. The album is intense and shockingly beautiful.

8 hours ago, Big Beat Steve said:

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but since there do not seem to be other threads about Japanese jazz around ...

Hijacking welcome! 😁 Interesting read about that Victor album. 👌

Anyone pick up this 3-disc set from Dusty Groove (or elsewhere)?

Curious to hear reviews...

Or this one?

5 discs might be a bit much, but maybe not?

[T.D.]

2 hours ago, Late said:

These are the Yamashita albums I'd like to see reissued. Both were on compact disc circa 2008. I missed the short window of opportunity.

Frozen Days in particular is very strong. I think it's a better album than the two Yamashita albums linked to above. (Still, I'm glad to have them.) I hope Octave Lab keeps reissuing Japanese Jazz and 70's jazz. Another Japanese jazz album, from 1980, that I'd love to see reissued (there was a compact disc reissue out in 2015; once again, I missed the window) is Akira Sakata's Pochi:

I haven't heard everything by Sakata, but this one has to rate as containing some of his very finest playing. The album is intense and shockingly beautiful.

Hijacking welcome! 😁 Interesting read about that Victor album. 👌

Anyone pick up this 3-disc set from Dusty Groove (or elsewhere)?

Curious to hear reviews...

Or this one?

5 discs might be a bit much, but maybe not?

Thanks for the recommendations, I'd be in on the Sakata and Yamashitas.

The Takagi sets look good, but solo and duo are not my favorite formats, so will hold off.

Browsing Dusty's site recently, this Abe set got my attention, but I passed for the same reason (solo/duo):

I'm kind of a pianophile and have really enjoyed the freeish Japanese piano jazz I've heard.

[Late]

2 hours ago, T.D. said:

I'm kind of a pianophile and have really enjoyed the freeish Japanese piano jazz I've heard.

Which albums? 

Do you have any Shoji Aketagawa? He's free, but not at all in the way that Yamashita is. As much as I like Yamashita, who I think is amazing, it's Aketagawa who I spin the most. But...they're two very different vibes.

And since this is a Japanese Jazz thread, and since Yamashita has been mentioned, I just want to put this one out there as perhaps one of the earliest (1969) examples of the "free" Japanese scene. Strongly recommended:

Akira Sakata is not on this one. Instead it's Yamashita's first horn player: Seiichi Nakamura. He holds his own, though perhaps not at the level of mastery that Sakata brings to the table. I didn't know that Light In The Attic reissued this one. (I have the Japanese reissue.) Sound is crunchy, but the vibe is amazing, especially given the circumstances the album was recorded under. The protest call that begins the album, even though I don't understand any of it, sets the mood perfectly.

This album is on a level with Spiritual Unity and Machine Gun. That important, I'd say.

Edited March 28, 2023 by Late

[T.D.]

3 hours ago, Late said:

Which albums? 

Do you have any Shoji Aketagawa? He's free, but not at all in the way that Yamashita is. As much as I like Yamashita, who I think is amazing, it's Aketagawa who I spin the most. But...they're two very different vibes.

And since this is a Japanese Jazz thread, and since Yamashita has been mentioned, I just want to put this one out there as perhaps one of the earliest (1969) examples of the "free" Japanese scene. Strongly recommended:

Akira Sakata is not on this one. Instead it's Yamashita's first horn player: Seiichi Nakamura. He holds his own, though perhaps not at the level of mastery that Sakata brings to the table. I didn't know that Light In The Attic reissued this one. (I have the Japanese reissue.) Sound is crunchy, but the vibe is amazing, especially given the circumstances the album was recorded under. The protest call that begins the album, even though I don't understand any of it, sets the mood perfectly.

This album is on a level with Spiritual Unity and Machine Gun. That important, I'd say.

To be honest, I'm a newbie as admitted above. Yamashita and Satoku Fujii are the only "modern" Japanese pianists I've heard to a significant degree. I like Fujii, but it's impossible to keep up with all her recordings and I somewhat prefer Yamashita. I'd like to branch out a bit and explore others before going completist on the Yamashita discography. Appreciate the Aketagawa mention. I'm going to root around Youtube and Bandcamp.

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by T.D.

[Late]

4 hours ago, T.D. said:

Appreciate the Aketagawa mention. I'm going to root around Youtube and Bandcamp.

A word of warning about Aketagawa—he prefers out-of-tune pianos, and his "singing" along with his solos...makes Keith Jarrett sound like...an actual singer. 🙃 An acquired taste to be sure.

[T.D.]

3 hours ago, Late said:

A word of warning about Aketagawa—he prefers out-of-tune pianos, and his "singing" along with his solos...makes Keith Jarrett sound like...an actual singer. 🙃 An acquired taste to be sure.

Indeed...in my limited Youtube explorations, his recordings seemed rather, uh, quirky. 🤔 His "Aketa's Disk" label in general, actually.

Going to look elsewhere for now. Summer Samba was most immediately listenable, but I'm not so much into bossa nova, let alone deconstruction thereof.

[clifford_thornton]

The Aketa's Disk label is actually a pretty important independent label though the releases are hard to find. Johnny's Disk as well -- some of the jazz cafes/clubs had their own imprints and released a pretty interesting variety of artists, from straight-ahead or post-Coltrane "modal" work to very free.

I still have a couple Aketas on Offbeat. Had his debut at one point but sold it.

Those Yamashitas are awesome -- got em all on LP, as well as Pochi and a few other strong early Sakata LPs. Not a clinker in the bunch. I think Nakamura is a good player although I agree not with the facility that Sakata holds in this context. He has a few more mainstream albums that are solid -- "Adventure In My Dream" being probably the best that I've heard, on Three Blind Mice.

And yes, I am awaiting my Dusty package with those boxed sets!

[Late]

55 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

And yes, I am awaiting my Dusty package with those boxed sets!

Nice! Would be interested in your impressions when you've had a chance to go through them.

56 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

The Aketa's Disk label is actually a pretty important independent label though the releases are hard to find. Johnny's Disk as well -- some of the jazz cafes/clubs had their own imprints and released a pretty interesting variety of artists, from straight-ahead or post-Coltrane "modal" work to very free.

In December 2019, coinciding with the "beginning" of COVID, Deep Jazz Reality reissued over a dozen titles from Aketa's Disk. Excellent remastering. I picked up eight Aketagawa discs as well as the latest reissue of Takayanagi's Angry Waves. My favorite Aketagawa album is:

Sometimes I think Aketagawa is the true heir (if such a thing exists and/or matters) to Monk's legacy. I also think Monk would've thought Aketagawa was absolutely bonkers—and then stayed to listen to his whole set. Aketagawa isn't at all the composer that Monk is, but their stubborn individuality makes them (in my mind) kinsmen. I can see Aketagawa adoring Monk, and Monk being cracked up by Aketagawa's playing. They both share the most idiosyncratic sense of humor and melody.

I don't know the Johnny's Disk label. Will have to look into it.

 

[Late]

Just saw this on CD Japan's site: 15 Japanese Jazz Masterpieces reissued. Cardboard sleeves.

[clifford_thornton]

Yeah, there's a performative aspect to Aketagawa's playing that is somewhat lost on the LPs, but he is indeed good. Angry Waves is brilliant -- I have an original of that one and think it's a sleeper hit within Takayanagi's large and wide-ranging discography.

Johnny's Disk was/is connected to the jazz cafe/club Kaiunbashi No Johnny in Iwate. The Eiji Nakayama records on the label are intensely introspective post-bop, and very strong, and there's "Lee Won Hui" aka Mototeru Takagi, "Grow," which is a beautifully out soprano (mostly) and drums duo. Those are the dates I'm familiar with, but there's certainly more that I don't know.

[HutchFan]

I was just poking around on Dusty Groove, and I see that Yamataifu, an album by Toshiyuki Miyama & His New Herd with Masahiko Sato, is going to be reissued in June.  Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be reissued on vinyl only.

The music on Yamataifu is a pleasingly weird mix of new & old, avant-garde and traditional big band.  I think all of the compositions and arrangements are by Sato.  You can hear it on YT here.

Sato made a whole series of records with Miyama's "New Herd," among them: Canto of Libra (1970), Yamataifu (1972), Straight Ahead (1974), and Nayutagenjo (1976).  

For my money, Nayutagenjo is the pick of the bunch, so I'm hoping it'll be reissued at some point -- but Yamataifu is very interesting too.

 

[Late]

10 hours ago, HutchFan said:

For my money, Nayutagenjo is the pick of the bunch...

那由佗現成

👉👍👈

Thank you for bringing this album to this thread's attention—great stuff!!

[Late]

14 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

Johnny's Disk was/is connected to the jazz cafe/club Kaiunbashi No Johnny in Iwate. The Eiji Nakayama records on the label are intensely introspective post-bop, and very strong, and there's "Lee Won Hui" aka Mototeru Takagi, "Grow," which is a beautifully out soprano (mostly) and drums duo.

Will look into those. 👍

Johnny's Disk on Discogs.

[Д.Д.]

On 3/27/2023 at 9:40 PM, Late said:

Anyone pick up this 3-disc set from Dusty Groove (or elsewhere)?

Curious to hear reviews...

Or this one?

5 discs might be a bit much, but maybe not?

I have both. I listened to a couple of CDs from  the solo set, they are excellent. I have listened to only the first CD of the duo / solo set, and it's a nice one as well, very lyrical. The balance between instruments is not perfect - the reeds are upfront and too harsh-sounding at times, bass a bit recessed and sounding quite shallow as if it's a cello. Please note that the last (and the longest) CD of the 3-CD set is solo by the bassist, Motoharu Yoshizawa.  

For Takagi, there is a very nice release on NoBusiness: https://nobusinessrecords.com/mototeru-takagi-live-at-little-john,-yokohama-1999.html 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Д.Д.

[HutchFan]

6 hours ago, Late said:

Thank you for bringing this album to this thread's attention—great stuff!!

Sure thing!