#NowPlaying

ドラゴ by Shibusashirazu Orchestra (2010)

https://songwhip.com/shibusashirazu/%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B4

Shibusashirazu (roughly, "we don't understand/are unaffected by cool"), often lengthened to Shibusashirazu Orchestra, was a Japanese experimental rock/punk jazz orchestra formed in 1989.

With all the interest around Japanese Jazz these days, surely there’s someone who’d like to reissue some of their catalog on vinyl. 🙏

#Shibusashirazu #Jazz #JapaneseJazz

#SundayJazz

“Watarase” by Fumio Itabashi (1982)

https://songwhip.com/%E6%9D%BF%E6%A9%8B%E6%96%87%E5%A4%AB/watarase

Itabashi is a jazz pianist with a searching, sometimes soaring style, similar to McCoy Tyner in his post-Coltrane years.

He composed this track, which appeared a year earlier on drummer Takeo Moriyama’s album Smile, and was arranged for a quintet. Here, stripped down to solo piano, it’s just as engaging.
What a melody!

#Vinyl #FumioItabashi #NowPlaying #Jazz #JapaneseJazz

#SundayJazz

“Romance” by Hiroshi Suzuki (1976)

https://songwhip.com/hiroshisuzuki/romance

A song that goes down easy on an early Sunday morning. Suzuki’s trombone and Takeru Muraoka’s saxophone pair beautifully and are lifted by the enviable rhythm section of Hiromasa Suzuki (keyboards), Kunimitsu Inaba (bass), and Akira Ishikawa (drums).

#Vinyl #Jazz #JapaneseJazz #HiroshiSuzuki

#NowPlaying

"Hai-Donan" by Shigeharu Mukai-Morning Flight (1981)

https://songwhip.com/shigeharumukai/haidonan

From the album Margarita, an appropriately tropical number from the #JapaneseJazz trombonist.

#ShigeharuMukai

#SundayJazz

“Planets” by Masaru Imada Trio (1977)

https://songwhip.com/masaruimadatrio1/planets1977

Beautiful melodies this morning with one of Japan’s top jazz pianists, #MasaruImada , supported here by Tetsujiro Obara on drums, Kunimitsu Inaba on bass, and augmented by Yuji Imamura on percussion.

Imada’s delicate yet articulate piano runs seem to float on the breeze, and are wonderfully supported by the rythym section.

#Vinyl #Jazz #JapaneseJazz #NowPlaying #MasaruImadaTrio

#NowPlaying

“Chiasma” by Yosuke Yamashita Trio (1976)

https://songwhip.com/yosukeyamashitatrio/chiasma-live

What a week. 😵‍💫

Here’s some heavy #FreeJazz from #YosukeYamashitaTrio to blow out any expectations of Friday meetings, Zoom calls, or TPS reports.

Yamashita on 🎹, Akira Sakata on 🎷, and Takeo Moriyama on 🥁 in front of a wildly enthusiastic crowd at the Heidelberger Jazztage in ‘75.

#Vinyl #Jazz #JapaneseJazz

You've been to a Japanese restaurant, right? (Or at least seen one in a drama or movie.)

There's often the plinketty plink-plink koto music creating an ambience (pronounced "om-bi-ons").

Hideo Shiraki Quintet & 3 Koto Girls, "Matsuri no Genzo / 祭りの幻想" (1965)

Koto goes to jazz – trust me, it's very listenable hard bop!

#JukeboxFridayNight
#GenreBender #HideoShiaki #JapaneseJazz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2e8Uh3mw3o

#SundayJazz

“Tell Me A Bedtime Story” by Masao Nakajima Quartet (1979)

https://songwhip.com/masaonakajimaquartet/tell-me-a-bedtime-story

Nice version of the Herbie Hancock song here by #MasaoNakajima

Joining him is bassist Osamu Kawakami, who had previously collaborated with Sadao Watanabe. On drums is Donald Bailey, and rounding out the quartet, Toshiyuki Honda on flute and saxophone.

#NowPlaying #Vinyl #Jazz #JapaneseJazz

#NowPlaying

“A Blind Man” by Shintaro Quintet (1984)

https://songwhip.com/shintaroquintet/a-blind-man

Recorded in 1984 but with a sound more in tune with modal & spiritual jazz of the 60s & 70s than your typical 80s production.
A great session with Japanese and American musicians including trumpet player Shunzo Ohno, pianist Jeff Jenkins, saxophonist Bob Kenmotsu, drummer Fukushi Tainaka, and band leader and bassist Shintaro Nakamura.

#ShintaroQuintet #Jazz #JapaneseJazz #Vinyl

Streaming in just a few minutes at https://twitch.tv/dadsfm #citypop #japanesejazz #rotarymixer #rotarydj #vinyldj #djontwitch

#SundayJazz

“Watarase” by Fumio Itabashi (1982)

https://songwhip.com/%E6%9D%BF%E6%A9%8B%E6%96%87%E5%A4%AB/watarase

Beautiful solo piano rendition of the #FumioItabashi composed song which appears on drummer and bandleader Takeo Moriyama’s album Smile just a year earlier.

Have a great day! 😀

#JapaneseJazz

Word on the street is that the cherry blossoms, or sakura, have already started to bloom in Tokyo, about ten days earlier than average. 🌸
So how about a song in celebration, “Sakura Sakura” by Tadaaki Misago & His Tokyo Cuban Boys (1972).
🌸
There are hundreds, if not thousands of versions of this popular song, but this one has a nice Latin jazz feel.

https://songwhip.com/tadaakimisago/sakura-sakura

#NowPlaying #JapaneseJazz #Vinyl

#NowPlaying

“A Heavy Shower” by Hozan Yamamoto (1971)

https://youtu.be/clr8Sdk0v1s

🌧️ More rain today. So enjoying a cup of ☕️ and a weather appropriate track for #SundayJazz

This album often gets name checked when discussing #JapaneseJazz and with good reason. It’s a wonderful blend of American jazz with Japanese composition and instrumentation, notably Hozan Yamamoto on the Japanese #shakuhachi an end-blown flute made from bamboo.

Wholly unique, it’s a record worth hearing.

#Vinyl

#SundayJazz #NowPlaying

“Little Abi” by Masabumi Kikuchi (2013)

https://songwhip.com/masabumikikuchi/little-abi

“Little Abi” was written for his daughter, and was part of his sets since the 70s. This version is from Kikuchi’s final album, recorded two years before he would leave us.
The title of the album, Hanamichi, refers to a bridge-way in kabuki theater that allows actors to enter & exit the stage by crossing the auditorium through the audience.

#MasabumiKikuchi #JapaneseJazz #Vinyl

The two clarinettists are brilliant but just wait for Furukawa Natuko to hit that piano.
Most of the 547 views this has had in the last year have been me. ❤️
Oh and the trumpeter is doing his best

#JapaneseJazz
#tôkyô
#PubMusic
#happy

https://youtu.be/fktZWg_SfUM

#NowPlaying

“杵” (Kine) by Miho Kei & Jazz Eleven (1971)

https://youtu.be/4kWM34-XLLo

A stunner of an album blending jazz, blues, avant-garde, traditional Japanese, psyche, and more!

Composed and arranged by Keitaro Miho, but a veritable Who’s Who of the #JapaneseJazz scene on the record. Akira Ishikawa on drums, Ryo Kawasaki on guitar, Masahiko Sato on piano, Minoru Muraoka on shakuhachi, Takeru Muraoka on sax, to name just a few!

🔥 🔥 🔥

#MihoKeiAndJazzEleven #Vinyl

I am eagerly anticipating the re-release date and delivery of this gem of J-Jazz. Evocative of #DonCherry and #MarionBrown. Yet another corner of the #jazz universe the contours of which I will need to map for myself. #MasaruImada #Bandcamp #Japanesejazz
https://bbemusic.bandcamp.com/album/planets

#NowPlaying

Well, 2022 is slipping away, and it was another great year for music. Lots of great albums, but this is one I found myself returning to.

“Father Forest” by Kyoto Jazz Sextet (2022)

https://open.spotify.com/track/6EzuV1uugs9XHX1tz7dBU3?si=-HSJw6DLRLCSqzC54Teu0Q

The inclusion of legendary drummer Takeo Moriyama really helps this one to soar and, man, Shinpei Ruike comes out swinging on trumpet.
Maybe one day Blue Note will give us an LP version.

#KyotoJazzSextet #JapaneseJazz

1981 jazz-funk led by keyboard player Hiromasa Suzuki. Think: the more groovy, dense, upbeat sides of Weather Report. Mabumi Yamaguchi is great on saxes, and the whole rhythm section is fire.

Watch "The Players ‎– Madagascar Lady (1981)" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/bjw-3umBgL8

#jazz #FusionJazz #JazzFunk #JapaneseJazz #music #AmListening

"あめのいわやど" (Ame no Iwayado) by Hiromasa Suzuki (1972)

https://open.spotify.com/track/0xLp0hPOWAK4jndtXeBKsW?si=590cdf4e013a4426

#JapaneseJazz incorporating elements of rock, leaning into fusion, and blending some very Japanese elements - specifically the #biwa , a plucked string instrument much like a lute.

That's Shiho Miyake on the biwa, the always in-demand Akira Ishikawa on percussion, and slicing up the guitar like a Ginsu cuts cans is Kiyoshi Sugimoto.
Finally, this is #HiromasaSuzuki 's composition and he's on keys.

#NowPlaying