Originally released at the height of 1970s jazz‑fusion, Moon Stone captures Mikio Masuda at a moment when he stood shoulder to shoulder with the era’s great crossover stylists. Frequently compared at the time to figures like Bob James and Ramsey Lewis, Masuda shared their feel for soft‑focus melody and radio‑ready sheen, but brought a more elastic, quietly exploratory instinct to the table. With its blend of electric piano, organ, clavinet and synthesizer riding over a nimble rhythm section, Moon Stone quickly came to be regarded as one of his essential works – a cornerstone of Japanese jazz‑funk now confirmed for a long‑awaited reissue as the fifth title in the SPIN THIS NOW! series.
Across the album, Masuda’s touch is unmistakable. His electric piano lines are fluid and melodic, tracing themes that lodge immediately in the ear, while his use of organ and clavinet adds both churchy depth and gritty bite where needed. Synthesizer colours drift in at the edges, never overwhelming the core band sound but expanding it into more cosmic territory. The writing moves easily between laid‑back, soft‑and‑mellow tunes and more driving, rock‑inflected passages, always grounded in a strong sense of groove and a sharp ear for arrangement. It’s music that works as both background glow and close‑listening pleasure, rich in small harmonic turns and keyboard flourishes.
The supporting cast is equally crucial to Moon Stone’s enduring pull. Drummer Hideo Yamaki and electric bassist Motohiko Hamase lock in as a supple rhythm team, keeping tempos relaxed but propulsive, capable of shifting from velvet funk to more urgent fusion without losing their pocket. On guitars, Kazumi Watanabe – already one of Japan’s standout young virtuosos – brings sleek, singing lines and tasteful firepower, while Kazumasa Akiyama contributes additional electric guitar and vocals that add warmth and a light pop sensibility to select tracks. Together, the band embodies the era’s ideal of crossover: technically assured, tonally lush, and always in service of atmosphere.
Heard today, Moon Stone feels both of its time and oddly timeless. The production glows with that unmistakable 70s studio sheen, yet Masuda’s compositions and the interplay of the ensemble continue to sound fresh, sitting comfortably alongside contemporary reappraisals of Japanese jazz, city pop and Balearic‑leaning fusion. This new reissue not only restores a key entry in Mikio Masuda’s catalogue, it also offers a beautifully rounded snapshot of a scene where jazz and rock, sophistication and ease, could meet on equal terms – all under the cool, luminous light of Masuda’s keys.
