★Octave Lab
Town Hall 1972
Tip! *2024 stock* If Anthony Braxton were to be judged on the basis of his oeuvre alone, he would stand completely apart from any modern composer, bar none. He has an enormous body of work, written for every conceivable permutation and combination of…
Solo
*2024 stock* Cecil Taylor's masterwork is captured on this Japanese CD (reissue of the eponymous album released on LP in 1973) that dates back to his zenith of performance, when he was pushing the envelope of improvisational music to unprecedented h…
Blue Piccolo
*2024 stock* A trumpeter who played in the Charles Mingus Group and other groups. This album is somewhat unique in the Whynot catalog, which is lined with works overflowing with blackness. The bop style is orthodox, but the one-horn style of playing …
Morning Prayer
*2024 stock* Chico Freeman wrote all the originals and arranged it for the septet. The music is an excellent documentation of what was going on in Chicago during the avant-garde period. The tunes and performances make challenging and rewarding listen…
Shirasagi
*2024 stock* "I think we've created something that can be called 'Japanese jazz.' I want to take it to the world." With these words, Oki Itaru left Japan in 1974. This album is a live recording of a concert he held just before leaving for France. The…
Journey To Air
*Limited Edition* Trumpeter Terumasa Hino at a level that's quite different than most of his early work in Japan recording in New York, and using a very spiritual approach one that's clearly influenced by some of the other players in the session! The…
A Part
*Limited Edition* Embark on a captivating collaboration between Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino and avant-garde bassist Reggie Workman. This partnership, from the early 70s, marked a spiritual awakening in Hino's music. The tracks, expansive and exp…
Peace And Love
*Limited Edition* Experience the musical journey of Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino in this 1970 recording from his early New York trip. With a sextet, including Reggie Workman on bass, Hino explores two expansive tracks, "Gongen" and "Peace & Love,…
Sabu - Message To Chicago
*Limited Edition* Percussionist Yoshisaburo Toyozumi – aka Sabu – heads up a brilliant set of creative jazz based on compositions by the Art Ensemble Of Chicago in a record that's clearly titled with a nod to the musical achievements of the AACM! The…
Love Nature
*Limited Edition* Japanese trumpeter Terumasa Hino delivers an exceptional moment in this early '70s session recorded in America, featuring the brilliant contributions of Gary Bartz on alto saxophone and Reggie Workman on bass. Unlike Hino's later fu…
Paris Days
*Limited Edition* In the early 1970s, while studying contemporary music composition in Paris, Takashi Kako discovered and fell in love with free jazz, and soon became active as a pianist there. He performed with Bob Reed, Noah Howard, Motoki Takagi, …
Straight Ahead
*Limited Edition* Immerse yourself in a delightful offering of Japanese jazz from the 70s, featuring a straight-ahead approach complemented by captivating fusion elements, courtesy of keyboardist Mikio Masuda, whose electrifying presence enhances mos…
Shudan Seikatsu
*Limited Edition* Shoyuki Akedagawa is not only a pianist, but also an ocarina player, guitarist, and eventually a vocalist. Comical yet emotional. Melancholy in his humor. This is a masterpiece that explodes with Akutagawa's talent. Nakamura Masco g…
Aketa's Erotical Piano Solo & Grotesque Piano Trio
*Limited Edition* Pianist Shoji Aketagawa, the creative force behind the consistently unconventional Aketa's Disc label, presents an album with an unusual title that aligns with the label's distinctiveness. The material, while not explicitly erotic o…
Flying To The Sky
*2023 stock* Collaboration between Japanese pianist Takehiro Honda and German saxophonist Gerd Dudek. Recorded March 1, 1971
The Impossible Dream
Delve into the groovy sounds of a Japanese harp jazz trio led by Tadao Hayashi. Similar to Dorothy Ashby's small combo records, the trio, with Takao Kusagaya on bass and Koichi Suzaki on drums, maintains a lean approach. Hayashi's harp work, given am…
East Plants
*2023 stock* "A genuine ‘under the radar’ album known only to a handful of Japanese jazz collectors, ‘East Plants’ is now available once more, reissued as CD and digital formats. Originally released in 1983 on the Japanese VAP label, ‘East Plants’ is…
850113
*Limited Edition* Japanese guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi's performance in this set is bold and powerful, not entirely "angry" but striking nonetheless. His sharp-edged guitar work, reminiscent of Sonny Sharrock's experiments, avoids noise for its own…
Maracaibo
*Limited Edition* Japanese drummer George Ohtsuka reunites with the Maracaibo group, creating a fusion of Latin influences on extended tracks that diverge from the smoother sounds of the contemporaneous scene. The ensemble includes Mabumi Yamaguchi o…
Topology
*Limited Edition* Harold Land shines in this fantastic, rare Japanese album, possibly surpassing his '70s work. Pianist Makoto Tarashita leads with a strong, spiritual, and modal style, setting Land free on vibrant, imaginative solos. The ensemble, i…