J-Jazz (Japanese Jazz)

not sure everyone is aware but Sony did a reissue of some of the Columbia project re:vinyl stuff for record store day here last weekend - they have been promoting these as from tape (but not necessarily AAA, if someone knows...) and even did a some dj sets using the master tape (at least that what I thought it was from insta posts) - the below link is the only one that hadn't been reissued before...but clearly Sony is starting to own their catalog just like they are doing with the recent TBM stuff

 
bornard said:
not sure everyone is aware but Sony did a reissue of some of the Columbia project re:vinyl stuff for record store day here last weekend - they have been promoting these as from tape (but not necessarily AAA, if someone knows...) and even did a some dj sets using the master tape (at least that what I thought it was from insta posts) - the below link is the only one that hadn't been reissued before...but clearly Sony is starting to own their catalog just like they are doing with the recent TBM stuff

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Are those dj sets what universounds insta posted about earlier this week?
 
picked up the only other lp Anne Young ever recorded Sparkle the other day for a few quatloos...mid 80s live record, great sound, from Japan, Japanese trio backing....highly recommended. no idea her background other than her other record which is a stone classic....kinda like blossom dearie with less annoying blossom dearie stuff...the Billie Holiday medley is ok and the Ella/Louis tribute is cute... I dunno, if you listen you'll get it...

private press, rare..the kinda record that makes you want to listen to more records.
 
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bornard said:
file under J-Jazz adjacent...
it's been a bit since I've gone back through the recently very rare and I guess highly collectable Whynot Label, because let's face it, of the 16 or 17 records put out by this highly curated Kenwood/Trio owned sub label, only about half of them are even listenable (ill let you figure out which are which) - my copies are also in LA, so there's also that as a reason

so last year when I found a strong copy of Charles Sullivan's "re-entry" for about 3000yen (no obi at that price these days) it was an easy pickup as had been on my wantlist for years.

tonight I listened to it again. fuck. it might just be one the best records I own. and I have a more than a few.
this record just smokes. the playing, inspired, just fire. sound quality is epic, everything just jumps off the vinyl, this record needs volume. this is a record you will come back to over and over again. in fact I replayed it immediately.

seek this out. you will be rewarded. in your ears. not financially, cause $$.

Also, I do love what the Whynot label was doing, with their curated approach, a label should stretch, you shouldn't like every record they put out but you should maybe want to buy them all - too rare and expensive these days, especially if you're not in Japan (but even now, I rarely see them).

The George Cables record is excellent as are the two Fumio Karashima records, which have become unobtanium, because well, they are awesome as well, a few other solid sessions in the mix, the rest avant-dreck that will not reward your ears (IMO) - happy hunting.
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I’ve never seen a Whynot title in person, so I just grabbed Fumio Karashima Trio - Landscape for $45 from Universounds. Shipping will be ~$6.50 once I’m done filling out a 5-item package from him. Pricey but not outlandish, and I’ll be able to get it back if I ever need/want to sell it. Hopefully, I won’t need to, and I doubt I’ll want to.

I really appreciate his willingness to hold multiple items for a reasonably long period of time (although I’ve never tested the limit) for a single shipment. He charges a lot for shipping, but it’s reasonable in a multi-item order.
 
Portland Sheriff said:
I’ve never seen a Whynot title in person, so I just grabbed Fumio Karashima Trio - Landscape for $45 from Universounds. Shipping will be ~$6.50 once I’m done filling out a 5-item package from him. Pricey but not outlandish, and I’ll be able to get it back if I ever need/want to sell it. Hopefully, I won’t need to, and I doubt I’ll want to.

I really appreciate his willingness to hold multiple items for a reasonably long period of time (although I’ve never tested the limit) for a single shipment. He charges a lot for shipping, but it’s reasonable in a multi-item order.
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I need to keep an eye on his site more. Usually, the good stuff is sold out by the time i see it, even with a page monitor set up. Always been curious on his shipping rates too. his record prices seem quite reasonable for the most part.
 
MikeH said:
I need to keep an eye on his site more. Usually, the good stuff is sold out by the time i see it, even with a page monitor set up. Always been curious on his shipping rates too. his record prices seem quite reasonable for the most part.
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Yeah, getting something on his site can be close to impossible when he releases any U.S. Blue Notes or OG/early TBM titles. His record prices are very reasonable, if not low compared to Discogs, and enough so that I can feel confident that I won't take a hit on resale. As mentioned, shipping is expensive. I don't have the current rate bc I haven't bought from him in a while, but I will when I get 5 items, and I'll share here. The good thing is it's flat rate up to a certain weight, which is usually 5 records if they're not heavy vinyl, and he seems readily willing to wait for me to reach 5 items. The shipping divided by 5 usually works out well enough that his net prices are still reasonable if not low.
 
Portland Sheriff said:
I’ve never seen a Whynot title in person, so I just grabbed Fumio Karashima Trio - Landscape for $45 from Universounds. Shipping will be ~$6.50 once I’m done filling out a 5-item package from him. Pricey but not outlandish, and I’ll be able to get it back if I ever need/want to sell it. Hopefully, I won’t need to, and I doubt I’ll want to.

I really appreciate his willingness to hold multiple items for a reasonably long period of time (although I’ve never tested the limit) for a single shipment. He charges a lot for shipping, but it’s reasonable in a multi-item order.
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nice pickup, he's a nice man and in Japan holding items is fairly common, so that tracks he allows it to save on shipping, I should go out and see him, its been a long time - its a great session, peak Japanese vinyl quality, of a style I particularly like...hope you enjoy it

I also see he's got the T. Yamamoto session on Yupiteru, one ive been looking for awhile, that never shows up in the wild...
 
bornard said:
nice pickup, he's a nice man and in Japan holding items is fairly common, so that tracks he allows it to save on shipping, I should go out and see him, its been a long time - its a great session, peak Japanese vinyl quality, of a style I particularly like...hope you enjoy it
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Thanks - I’ve heard the music bc of a post of yours a couple years ago (I had to search NG to make sure I had the right catalyst for me checking out his music) and like it for sure. Looking forward to owning a copy on vinyl. I really want Piranha and Gathering, in part bc I am generally always interested in anything with Isao Suzuki, but both of those really do seem to be unobtanium.
 
Portland Sheriff said:
Thanks - I’ve heard the music bc of a post of yours a couple years ago (I had to search NG to make sure I had the right catalyst for me checking out his music) and like it for sure. Looking forward to owning a copy on vinyl. I really want Piranha and Gathering, in part bc I am generally always interested in anything with Isao Suzuki, but both of those really do seem to be unobtanium.
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he's one of my favorites for sure, I like these records more than the Ryo Fukui sessions (Horror!!!) and all his 80s sessions are more easily available and reasonable and quite good (SQ for sure) - piranha has become very hard to find and pricey for sure...
 
bornard said:
couple big ones coming...

www.hmv.co.jp

Henderson’s Habiliment (Live At The Junk)

Joe Henderson
www.hmv.co.jp www.hmv.co.jp
www.hmv.co.jp

Megalopolis

松本浩 / 市川秀男
www.hmv.co.jp www.hmv.co.jp
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actually went out to see Ogawa-san today at his place in Koenji...hes really excited about these, and I mentioned that I have the earlier reissue of Megalopolis on Think! - he said that this new one is recut and remastered (from digital) but that he thinks its sounds better...we shall see as that is a really killer record

then flipped through his stuff and he told me how difficult it is to source records and overall quality and condition is way down, but prices are way up....
 
File under J-Jazz Adjacent: Yupituru Records 'West Coast Jazz Today' Series from the early 80s.

30 titles released between 1980-84 from serious legends (Sonny Stitt, Herb Ellis, etc), for the time contemporary heavy hitters (George Cables) and some lesser knowns (Armen Donelian, Milcho Leviev) all recorded state of the art in west coast studios and pressed on perfect Japanese vinyl - cover artwork and photos I think are batting way above for early 80s jazz, even if highlighting a lot of pretty old (but very talented) white guys

While the repertoire is of the more standard faire and can be a bit more laid back, these are all quality sessions that are SQ showstoppers that will let anyone demo their system.

These used to show up pretty frequently in Japan for ¥1000 or under (and many still do) but there has been one that eluded me for years, having never seen it in the wild and that is the Carl Fontana/Bill Watrous double trombone extravaganza discogs link- and in full collector nerd mode I found one this weekend for ¥2400 no obi, nm-/nm- (pricing may have to do with rarity here) completing my set of 30 super nerdy jazz records that no one gives a shit about...except these are all super enjoyable sessions, recorded perfectly for the Japanese market.

I'm a big fan of this period even though the legends maybe no longer be at their creative peak, they just might have been more comfortable and confident to play things in a different mode, with different objectives...so if you see any of these for a few bucks or even more take a shot and buy something that isn't and has never been reissued...cause don't we all have too many tone poets...

The adjacent series on Yupiteru Seeking For Jazz features some legends and mostly Japanese artists, but many of these records have become rare and expensive, but equally high sound quality...
 
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