Jazz & Improvisation / Japanese Jazz

BBE Music continues its highly acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series with Kemo Sabe, the debut album from pianist Masao Nakajima. Recorded in 1979 on Yupiteru Records, it’s an elusive beast in the field of J Jazz and balances delicate and refined playi…

The ninth album in BBE Music's J Jazz Masterclass Series presents ‘At the Room 427’ by Koichi Matsukaze Trio Featuring Ryojiro Furusawa, a rarely heard exemplar of post-modal power bop and free jazz. Delivered by a trio playing with an intensity and …

Since 2018, BBE Music has been leading the field in reissuing rare modern jazz from Japan’s golden period spanning the late 60s to the early 80s. The J Jazz Masterclass Series continues to present the finest in Japanese jazz with 'Planets' by Masaru …

As part of its continuing exploration of Detroit’s Strata label with DJ Amir’s 180 Proof Records, BBE Music reissues the 1974 rare jazz classic ‘Inside Ourselves’ by Sphere. Recorded live on June 28th, 1970 at the Detroit Institute of Arts, ‘Inside O…

As part of the widely respected BBE J Jazz Masterclass Series, Koichi Matsukaze‘s incredibly rare and much sought after album Earth Mother sees a deluxe repress on BBE Music. This is the third highly anticipated release in the series. Regarded as one…

*2023 stock* Japan's legendary drummer steps out here with a killer combo – definitely a "big 4", given that the group features excellent tenor work from Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto, plus Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano from Hideo Ichikawa! George K…

"This is Kunio Ohta's second TBM album, known as a favorite of listeners who love the TBM label. The original "Umi to Taiyo (The Sea and the Sun)" features all the members in lively action, and Takano's melancholy tenor solo on the over 16-minute tit…

Masayuki Takayanagi, a charismatic artist who relentlessly pursued new jazz. Three albums by Tee & Company, the strongest big combo of the 20th century under Takayanagi. This is their second album. Includes the fast-paced "Dragon Garden". The other t…

The impossibly cool 1973 album What's Going On from Late, Great Japanese Funk & Jazz Don Takehiro Honda which swings through jazz orchestral renditions of American R&B and Funk Classics like Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On, "Otis Redding's "Sitting On…

Tip! Spectacular live recording from 1986 of two seminal figures of the Japanese avantgarde - Akira Sakata on saxophone and Takeo Moriyama on drums. Mitochondria captures the reunion of the two free jazz masters, who started playing together in the Y…

*2022 repress* Studio Mule present a re-recording of Motohiko Hamase's Intaglio, originally released in 1986. Currently the rediscovery of long-forgotten Japanese electronic, jazz, and new age music is at a peak like never before. Although many reiss…

Bristling with tension and remarkable restrained interplay, encountering both players at the top of their game, No Business’ latest CD, Live at FarOut, Atsugi 1987, a never before issued duo between Bailey and the Japanese saxophonist, Mototeru Takag…

Ferocious JP / US free jazz bomb. A rare meeting between the NYC free jazz scene and the Japanese free music scene. Old-style Gatefold LP, with rare photographs & liner notes by Alan Cummings.

Famed free jazz concert registration of an early New Direction for the Art performance. Recorded in 1971. Old-style Gatefold LP, with rare photographs & extensive liner notes by Alan Cummings.

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents "Ryuhyo" – Sailing Ice by Motohiko Hino Quartet. Art Direction – 西沢勉, Bass – 井野信義, Drums – 日野 元彦, Engineer [Assistant] – Shigeru Kadowaki, Toshiaki Kanazawa, Engineer [Recording] – Ma…

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents 2nd Album by Kosuke Mine Quintet. Recorded November 29 and December 2, 1970. Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Kosuke Mine, Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Yoshio Suzuki, Drum…

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Blues For Tee by Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio. Recorded live in concert on December 25, 1974. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Akira Daiyoshi, Drums – Toshio Osumi, Mixed By – Yoshihik…

Craftman presents a live concert by New Direction. The album includes 2 tracks performed by Masayuki Takayanagi - Guitar, and Kaoru Abe - Alto Saxophone. The first album track: Thursday / Gradually Projection, was recorded on June 18, 1970 at Tokyo. …

Now! by Masaru Imada was the second album released by the fledgling Three Blind Mice label and the pianist's first leader album for the label. All four tunes are Imada's original compositions. The two slow numbers – "Nostalgia" and "The Shadow of the…

** In process of stocking ** Craftman records presents One For Duke by Masaru Imada Trio. Recorded May 27, 1975. Art Direction – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Isoo Fukui, Drums – Tetsujiro Obara, Engineer – Yoshihiko Kannari, Piano – Masaru Imada, Producer –…

Japanese free jazz pioneer and trumpeter Itaru Oki, who passed away in August 2020, was active mainly in Europe. He was one the key players in the development of a distinctively Japanese take on free jazz in the Tokyo scene of the late 1960s and earl…

Tip! "It is my great pleasure to introduce you to the second volume of the "Japanese Jazz Spectacle" series. Following the first compilation which focused on recordings from the Nippon Columbia catalog, this time we are digging into the King Records …

Tip!   Active as a professional DJ in Japan since the late eighties, DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite is also a renowned remixer, compiler and producer. An avid record collector and an expert of the Wamono style, Yoshizawa published the Wamono A to Z records gu…

BBE Music presents the fourth release in their acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series: Topology by Makoto Terashita and Harold Land. Originally released in 1984 on the cult Aketa’s Disk label, Topology captures a surprising yet fascinating and engaging …

NoBusiness presents Live at Jazz inn Lovely 1990, a new set of recordings by Masayuki JoJo Takayanagi, Nobuyoshi Ino and Masabumi PUU Kikuchi Recorded live by Sony TC-DM at jazz inn Lovely, Nagoya, Japan, October 9th, 1990. Track 1,4 & 5 improvised a…

** LP version. 180 gram vinyl. Heavy sleeve and obi ** We Release Jazz announce the official reissue of Ryo Fukui's only solo piano album, recorded live, June 4-5, 1994 at The Lutheran Hall in Sapporo. Originally released on CD only by Sapporo Jazz C…

** LP version. 180 gram vinyl; Half speed mastered; Heavy sleeve and obi ** We Release Jazz is ecstatic to announce the official reissue of Hiroshi Suzuki’s glorious jazz-fusion-funk Holy Grail Cat (originally released in 1976), sourced from the orig…

Hozan Yamamoto, a legend of Japanese jazz, he is rightly regarded as a true master and was recognised as a "living national treasure" by the Japanese government in 2002. Over five decades he pushed the genre into new directions, absorbing fusion, fun…

** 80 coloured copies on white/blue marbled vinyl. Includes insert and obi. ** Recorded in November 1969 at Teichiku Kaikan Studio, Tokyo, "Speed ​​and Space - The Concept of Space in Music" is one of those landmark works in which Masahiko Togashi is…

** 80 coloured copies on golden vinyl. Includes insert and obi. ** The quintessential album by Takayanagi Masayuki. Considered the 'Lochness monster' of Japanese free jazz records due to its incredible rarity, this album was the debut recording of Ta…

Rare CD by this trio comprised of Masayuki Takayanagi (guitar and effects), Peter Kowald (double bass) and Keiki Midorokawa (cello), recorded on April 29, 1983 in Tokyo.

**This version also includes the bonus disc JDR-0011 Endless Final featuring the last recording of Takayanagi** Jinya Disc presents a live concert by New Direction. The album includes the last performance of Action Direct and the last performance of …

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents All Right! by Isao Suzuki Quartet. Recorded November 18 and 19, 1974. Bass – Osamu Kawakami, Drums – Shinji Mori, Electric Bass – Akira Okazawa, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Kaz…

Craftman Records presents Q by Hideto Kanai. Recorded at Aoi Studio, Tokyo on May 9 & 17, 1971. Artwork – Ben Nishizawa, Bass – Hideto Kanai, Engineer – Yoshihiko Kannari, Engineer [Assistant] – Kenji Kurota, Mastered By – Tohru Kotetsu, Producer – T…

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** ** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Unicorn was bassist Teruo Nakamura's first date as a leader. Recorded and issued in Japan on the legendary Three Blind Mice imprint in 1973, Nakamura had been working i…

** In process of stocking ** Seminal Japanese jazz album from 1971. Journeys through jazz fusion, soul and big band moods. Impossible to obtain in its original format, these days. Hozan Yamamoto was recognised as a "living national treasure" by the J…

Jinya Disc presents a live concert by New Direction recorded at Jazzbed, Tokyo on September 27, 1970. The album includes 2 tracks performed by Masayuki Takayanagi - Guitar, Kaoru Abe - Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Performer, and Hiroshi Yamazaki - …

** 2021 Stock. In process of stocking ** Craftman Records presents Blue City by Isao Suzuki Quartet. Art Direction, Cover – Ben Nishizawa, Bass, Cello – Isao Suzuki, Drums – Tetsujiro Obara, Engineer [Recording], Mixed By – Yoshihiko Kannari, Executi…

Essential jazz album among the influences of the future-jazz quartet Sleep Walker by trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki. "Variation" is a joint project including the legendary jazz drummer Masahiko Togashi featurig pianist Yuji Ohno, saxophonist Jun Suzuki an…

** Reissued for the first time with its original gatefold sleeve and cover ** Four Units is a kind of Japanese jazz "all star". Recorded in Tokyo on April 1969, it was released the same year on Union records. On the first two long songs that open thi…