J-Jazz (Japanese Jazz)

I just discovered a J-Jazz label called DAYS of Delight. They released only 3 compilations and 5 albums so far, and all on CD. They focus on J-Jazz from the 70's and in fact, if you look at the compilations, these are some kind of best compilations with, just to name a few, Fumio Itabashi, Jiro Inagaki, Terumasa Hino, Sadao Watanabe, etc... These are great introductions to anyone who wants to discover J-Jazz.

What is even interesting is their new releases. There is a new Kozuke Mine album and two Hidefumi Toki (he released two albums on Three Blind Mice, the most famous being Toki with his Quartet). The other two releases are collaborative albums by Banksia Trio and Days of Delight Quintet.

Of course these CD are easy to find in Japan but nowhere to find in the rest of the world. At least, their website is full of videos so you can give their music a listen. I sent an email asking if they plan to press vinyls in a near future. I'll let you know if I have any answer.
 
I have a fantastic J-Jazz records haul on my way. 9 records from bands/artists totally unknown from me a week ago. Giving a look at credits on J-Jazz records can help a lot and make you spend good money.

I'll share everything when I'll have the records in hands but I may have bought my first OG Three Blind Mice record.
 
Another reason to get excited! The 6th release in the BBE J-Jazz Masterclass is up for pre-order with some photos being uploaded online.

Hideto Sasaki - Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet Plus One - 'Stop Over'.

Looks like a superb set once again and the original only had 100 copies pressed privately, so chances are that you wont of heard it before!

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Skalap said:
I have a fantastic J-Jazz records haul on my way. 9 records from bands/artists totally unknown from me a week ago. Giving a look at credits on J-Jazz records can help a lot and make you spend good money.

I'll share everything when I'll have the records in hands but I may have bought my first OG Three Blind Mice record.
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So here is my J-Jazz records haul that I picked-up at work today. I orderd 9 of these records from a German web shop Mion Records in Berlin. They have 76.000 records for sale on Discogs and most of them, I would say 95%, are Japanese releases. You'll find both Japanese and International artists in all genres from Jazz to Pop to Rock, Folk or Hip-Hop. Seller was super friendly, my order was shipped the same day and very well packed. I actually already placed a second order through them (read at the end).

First of all, Native Son. I've never heard of them before. These are their first three albums + a live album recorded during an American tour. They play Fusion jazz, not exactly a genre I am a fan of. In a normal situation I wouldn't even have give it a chance BUT I read the credits and discovered that this band was formed by Takehiro Honda and the other members are Motonobu Ohde, Tamio Kawabata, Hiroshi Murakama AND Kohsuke Mine. Yes the Kohsuke Mine from Mine, the one who released his first albums on Three Blind Mice. So I started playing the live album Coast to Coast on Youtube (listen here) and it's actually pretty good. There are some great songs and melodies, some cheesy moments but I really enjoyed their music. Funny thing, Hiroshi Fukumura (Morning Flight album released on TBM and recently reissued by Le Très Jazz Club) joined the band for this tour. I don't know the other musicians but Discogs says Ohde was part of Ryojiro Furusawa Group and Murakami part of Mine Quartet & Quintet or Tee & Company.

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First is Toshiko Akiyoshi ‎– Her Trio, Her Quartet. She is one of the most famous jazz musicians from Japan and one of a very few successful female instrumentalists of her generation in jazz.. Her Trio, Her Quartet is her second album, originally released on Storyville in 1956, my copy is the first Japanese released in 1974. Next is This is Music Is This !? by Free-Jazz band Seikatsu Kōjyō Iinkai. The band released 4 albums between 1975 and 1980. This one is the third, the first two are impossible to find and damn expensive (Live at Masuda sold once on Discogs for $400). I am not a Free-Jazz specialist but really enjoyed this album. Then comes Samurai-Era compilation released in 1999 on Bonjour Recordings. No big surprises, some of the biggest J-Jazz names are here like Isa Suzuki, Terumasa Hino, Masaru Imada or Teruo Nakamura). There are a few names I don't know so I'll listen carefully to these songs to see where it can take me. Finally, Kazumi Watanabe ‎– Kylyn Live. Another Jazz Fusion album recorded live produced by Watanabe and Ryuchi Sakamoto (Akiko Yano plays keybords and sings here too). Not bad right?

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First is a Ayako Hosokawa ‎release reissued this week by Craftman Records (the same label that reissued the TBM Supreme Collectio 1500 on CD). If you love vocal jazz this is for you. Ayako song really well and have an amazing voice. It seems already sold out on many Japanese web shops so hurry up if you want to grab a copy. Eiji Nakayama With Masaru Imada ‎– North Plain is the first OG TBM released in my collection. You certainly know Eiji Nakayama and Masaru Imada, first released Aya's Samba and second Green Caterpillar. I couldn't find any song from this album on Youtube so I went blind. I must give it a play next week-end. I must say that I am very excited by this one :) Next two are Somethin' Coll J-Jazz label recent releases. I have been hunting their releases and grabbed a few (Junko Onishi, Sumire Kuribayashi, etc...). I recommend following this, they have been releasing some very good modern J-Jazz albums.

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And that's it. By the end of the week, or maybe next, I should receive a second order from Mion Records: two Yosuke Yamasahita Free-Jazz records (I strongly recommended First Time, recorded with three Art Ensemble of Chicago members) and three Masaru Imada Latin-Jazz records.

 
These are probably the two records in the Project Re:Vinyl picked for RSD 2020.

Takeru Muraoka & His New Group ‎– Soft Landing (link to RSD Japan page)
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Singers 3* ‎– Foliole #2 The Sound Of Singers 3 (link to RSD Japan page)
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As a remember, this month we have a batch of Ryo Fukui reissues (all his discography) including, for the first time on vinyl, My Favorite Tune (previously only available on CD).

Scenery (5th press), Mellow Dream (2nd press), In New-York (2nd press) and A Letter from Slowboat (3rd press) are released the same day, March 15th.
 
Soft Landing is great. I have never heard the Sound of Singers 3. Looking forward to My Favorite Tune and In New York. I will certainly pick those two up.

Listing to Hiromasa Suzuki's Colgen World right now.
 
indiana45s said:
Soft Landing is great. I have never heard the Sound of Singers 3. Looking forward to My Favorite Tune and In New York. I will certainly pick those two up.

Listing to Hiromasa Suzuki's Colgen World right now.
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I have pre-ordered My Favorite Tune and Mellow Dream that I was missing in the serie and couldn't find at a fair price. I have added a few CDs from Days of Delight, a Japanese label who released last Kozuke Mine and Hidefumi Toki albums.

Here is a quick presentation of the label, translated by Google : A new label featuring the director of Akiomi Hirano, the director of the Taro Okamoto Memorial Museum and the general producer of the “Tower of the Sun” project, which was released in March 2018. “Days of Delight” has started! The theme of this label is to respect the sound of the 1970s when Japanese jazz was awakened with overwhelming originality, to spot the sound sources of that time, and at the same time to pursue a new form of jazz.
 
Not really J-Jazz, but I saw that the CTI title "Stonebone" is going to be reissued for Record Store Day. This was apparently the very last CTI release and it was never available outside Japan.

recordstoreday.co.uk

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Sorry, the page you requested couldn't be found.
recordstoreday.co.uk recordstoreday.co.uk
 
Looking at the Japan RSD site, a lot of desirable titles are coming out including

Terumasa Hino and Reggie Workman - Part A
Terumasa Hino - Peace and Love
Terumasa Hino - Journey to Air
Terumasa Hino - Love Nature

"Part A" is particularly hard to find in its original pressing.
 
indiana45s said:
Looking at the Japan RSD site, a lot of desirable titles are coming out including

Terumasa Hino and Reggie Workman - Part A
Terumasa Hino - Peace and Love
Terumasa Hino - Journey to Air
Terumasa Hino - Love Nature

"Part A" is particularly hard to find in its original pressing.
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These are also in the French list. I believe Modulor shop (home of LTJC) will have copies for sale.
 
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