Yoshio Ikeda Quintet

The first-ever reissue on Studio Mule of the debut album by Japanese jazz legend and bassist Yoshio Ikeda. Having performed with such illustrious figures as Sadao Watanabe, Masabumi Kikuchi, and Terumasa Hino, Ikeda’s first album as a leader features pianist and vocalist Ichiko Hashimoto—also known for her involvement with YMO—Berlin-based jazz pianist Aki Takase, and leading Japanese drummer Motohiko Hino.

Avant-garde yet imbued with a distinctly Japanese sense of melancholy, this is a work that resonates profoundly with the present moment. The gem “Whispering weeds,” highlighted by thrilling piano and Hashimoto’s evocative scat vocals, was also included on a compilation by bbe. Remastered from the original master tapes by Kuniyuki, the album has been revived with a richer, more lustrous sound in this definitive reissue.