maruyama-san does nice work...hoping I can pick these up...passed on an original of the Muraoka side many years back and always regretted it...kikuchi sometimes I struggle with even though I know this side is a classic
J-Jazz (Japanese Jazz)
- Thread starter stpaulbrowns
- Start date
Kikuchi goes from straight up genius to a bit too far out into noise, but this one is amazing. With Kikuchi, it all depends on who is in the band.
kafunis
Well-Known Member
Koichi Matsukaze Trio Featuring Ryojiro Furusawa – At The Room 427 (1976, Vinyl) This is getting a reissue through BBE later this year . That's good news ! I've a got a needle drop of the original . great stuff !
is this more free jazz/out jazz? I'm not so familiar with ALM records as its all so rare...
what BBE is doing is great, but I hate the 2x45 format...and the last one I bought from them had a promo sticker applied directly on the jacket...
can't they just issue it on a single record, charge less and do better work on the covers
kafunis
Well-Known Member
Don't think they'll do this at 45 as the first track is 20 minutes long, Could be wrong though . It's a more free/out than most of the stuff they have released except maybe Moriyama . there is a track on the latest J-Jazz comp, that's the 20 minute tune Acoustic Chicken if you have that, that'll give you a good idea of the style,
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Am I missing something with the latest Superfly releases?
Typically they are around the £25 mark here in the UK (that's what I paid for the last 2 at Sounds Of The Universe) but Juno has the latest 2 listed at £53.99 EACH, plus postage. In comparison, they have the Laurent Petitgirard - Suite Epique (the Superfly reissue before these latest 2) listed at £18.74.
Im hoping the price drops drastically when other retailers here in the UK start to list them because that's crazy money.
Typically they are around the £25 mark here in the UK (that's what I paid for the last 2 at Sounds Of The Universe) but Juno has the latest 2 listed at £53.99 EACH, plus postage. In comparison, they have the Laurent Petitgirard - Suite Epique (the Superfly reissue before these latest 2) listed at £18.74.
Im hoping the price drops drastically when other retailers here in the UK start to list them because that's crazy money.
kafunis
Well-Known Member
They are just over 4000 Yen on HMV Japan . We can't even get that stuff down here, but yeah, that's probably the future right there (Hopefully not for a while though !! ) Sure you'll be able to get them cheaper than that though .
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Ah nice, that's more in line with what the others have been sold for here in the past. Hopefully, when other shops start stocking them it will be more reasonable. Crazy to think we might end up living in a world where £55 for a single record is standard!
Skalap
Well-Known Member
Last time I went to Superfly (maybe 6 months ago or more), Manu told me he would reissued J-Jazz records and these would be more expensive than previous Superfly Records. My guess is they wanted to aligne the prices with other J-Jazz records pressed in Japan (see Project Re: Vinyl serie). Next non J-Jazz records will probably be back in the 25/30€ range in my opinion. I have to pay them a visit one of the days... It's been a while.
EDIT: both are listed at 50€ on Superfly webshop so £55 makes sense after taxes, shipping and margin.
African Rock is quite the side...accessible on the edge Ishikawa. everything just grooves really hard with those driving African percussive instruments.
This one is definitely recommended. Sound quality is typical for the series (meaning maybe a notch below the best audiophile stuff - although I still think everything is from digital especially since most of these have been issued on CD recently in Japan). Packaging is next level, true replica style with the insert tipped-in to the gatefold. Love these kind of details that Ogawa-San is able to execute.
Note: the first minute on side a is basically a silent chant so don't worry if you're not hearing much.
This one is definitely recommended. Sound quality is typical for the series (meaning maybe a notch below the best audiophile stuff - although I still think everything is from digital especially since most of these have been issued on CD recently in Japan). Packaging is next level, true replica style with the insert tipped-in to the gatefold. Love these kind of details that Ogawa-San is able to execute.
Note: the first minute on side a is basically a silent chant so don't worry if you're not hearing much.
Just picked these up and the Kikuchi is right up to the edge for me, the A side being more 'out' and the flip being more modes and melody...SQ does vary between the two, it may the 'live' nature of the Kikuchi record, but its not an amazing recording SQ wise, the Muraoka record is better...his horn while well recorded is a placed way in front of the other band members with the keys panned hard left. It's got a strange clinical feel to it... I feel there could have been a touch more bottom end. But all in all better than most and if you can get it close to 4000Yen its definitely higher value than anything else out there. packaging is superb as is typical of Maruyama-san, the only quibble would be that he doesn't do replica labels (although they sorta look like old Philips ones).
If only we could start to see more of these on a regular basis.
I see that DustyGroove has these at $70 which is starting to get ridiculous. Sigh.
kafunis
Well-Known Member
I got an email from a shop in Melbourne today . . A$110 .. Hahahahhhahaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhaahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhaaaa
For Kikuchi, this one is like a Boots Randolph record!
The Muraoka record is superb. Thing is - look at what Japanese originals are going for. I paid around $60 for mine, and that IMO was fair.
I hear ya on the Kikuchi...I probably should weed out the records that I don't really listen to...
originals are a whole other story....for the entire J-Jazz genre there was basically only 1 market (Japan) and jazz while popular in Japan is still pressed in smaller quantities (and mostly 1 time only) that's why so many of these are impossible to find now that there is awareness and popularity. You can still find the 2nd press of the Kikuchi in the wild pretty reasonably (at least in the beginning of 2020) and the Muraoka was a $100 record (without obi) but now those are all stratospheric...
I just don't think any record should cost that much and the market will eventually self-correct as there are just so many expensive records being put out...that being said, my Takeru had a slight warp which is a first for me for a Japanese new pressing, I just hope that the Japanese pressing plants aren't making the same QC sacrifices that all the other plants are...
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Im not sure if you guys have been following the fantastic magazine series by Katsumasa Kusonose? Essentially he was researching, photographing and writing articles on some of Japan's Jazz Kissa (or 'Kisssaten') for a book but when the pandemic hit he had to put it on hold. He decided to release what he had in magazine formats (3 being released so far) and this 4th is essentially a coffee table book of photos. Its full of really interesting and aesthetically stunning photos. Incredibly, it took just 3 days to arrive to the UK from Japan as well, which has been the average time for each of the series so far, crazy fast!
indiana45s
Member
This whole concept makes me want to open my own Kissa here in the United States.
As for the Takeru and Kikuchi reissues, no doubt the originals were going for far less a few years ago but those days are past. I doubt they will ever return, though some prices might come down a bit after this mania subsides. For the truly rare copies with original obi, this is like bitcoin for some Chinese collectors, pure speculation and arbitrage.
These reissues are probably on a very heavy board -- the Harumi Takeushi was ultra-deluxe -- and this is contributing to the price as it dramatically increases shipping costs to get them outside Japan. 4000 Yen is not bad in terms of USD. Dusty Groove's prices are just a reflection of what it costs to get them shipped to the USA I expect.
As for the Takeru and Kikuchi reissues, no doubt the originals were going for far less a few years ago but those days are past. I doubt they will ever return, though some prices might come down a bit after this mania subsides. For the truly rare copies with original obi, this is like bitcoin for some Chinese collectors, pure speculation and arbitrage.
These reissues are probably on a very heavy board -- the Harumi Takeushi was ultra-deluxe -- and this is contributing to the price as it dramatically increases shipping costs to get them outside Japan. 4000 Yen is not bad in terms of USD. Dusty Groove's prices are just a reflection of what it costs to get them shipped to the USA I expect.
more Jazz Kissa here
www.tokyojazzjoints.com
Tokyo Jazz Joints
Collaborative Japanese jazz documentary photography project by Philip Arneill with James Catchpole, begun in Tokyo in March 2015.
www.tokyojazzjoints.com
Selaws
Well-Known Member
I have been listening to these for a while and think I shared them before. Its great to have their website open alongside the podcast as you can see exactly which features they describe by looking at the photos. A really great dynamic between the 2 hosts as well, they clearly love jazz and Japanese culture.more Jazz Kissa here
Tokyo Jazz Joints
Collaborative Japanese jazz documentary photography project by Philip Arneill with James Catchpole, begun in Tokyo in March 2015.
stpaulbrowns
Well-Known Member
Great to hear. Great album!