Jazz /
J Jazz Volume 3: Deep Modern Jazz from Japan
**In process of stocking** BBE Music presents J Jazz volume 3, the latest in its definitive compilation series exploring the finest modern jazz from Japan. Since the first volume in February 2018, the J Jazz compilation series has showcased some of the most creative, inspired, and sought-after jazz recorded in Japan during a golden period spanning the 1960s to the 1980s. Illustrating the richness and versatility of the composers and musicians on this collection, the music spans a wide yet cohere…
Evolution
**In process of stocking** BBE Music presents the seventh release in its highly acclaimed J Jazz Master Class Series: ‘Evolution’ by Shintaro Quintet. Recorded in 1984 and originally released on the private label Streetnoise Records, ‘Evolution’ is a perfect example of stately modal jazz with every one of its five tracks composed by band leader and bassist, Shintaro Nakamura. A cut from the album, ‘A Blind Man’, was included on the BBE Music compilation ‘J Jazz – Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969…
Stop Over
**In process of stocking** BBE Music presents the sixth release in its acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series: ‘Stop Over’ by Hideto Sasaki – Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet +1. Released at the height of the electric fusion era, ‘Stop Over’ is an all-acoustic hard bop killer, sounding like the Jazz Messengers on speed. When it was originally issued on the private Smile label in 1976, only 100 copies were pressed, making ‘Stop Over’ one of the most sought after and rare LPs in the J Jazz canon.
Trumpeter H…
Animals Garden
**In process of stocking** The fifth release in the BBE Music J Jazz Masterclass Series has the perfect combination of rarity and exceptional musicality that inspires seasoned collectors to break out in a sweat. Animals Garden by Miyasaka + 5 was originally issued in 1979 on the cult private Japanese label ALM and is reissued for the first time in a 180Gram 2LP edition.Animals Garden was a one-off project led by master drummer Takashi ‘Bear’ Miyasaka and features a powerful and progressive jazz …
Topology
**In process of stocking** 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 collaboration between a young Japanese jazz pianist and an elder American statesman of jazz.Reissued by BBE Music for the first time since original release 36 years ago, Topology showcases the extraordinary compositional an…
Leeward
** Mabumi Yamaguchi Quartet's outstanding modal jazz outing 'Leeward' from 1978 ** Leeward, released in 1978 on Union Record, is the second album by tenor and soprano saxophonist Mabumi Yamaguchi. Already in quartet formation for his previous album, After The Rain, released two years earlier, Mabumi Yamaguchi changes musicians here to surround himself with Ikuo Sakurai on bass, Hideo Sekine on drums and Ichiro Doi on piano and electric piano. Leeward opens with "Dawn", a long and slow piece led …
Four Units
** 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 this album, “Four Units” and “Dull Slumber”, we can feel the influence of the “avant-garde” scene of US jazz (and in particular ESP Disk), without however the music sounding too "free". A whole new vibe on the astonishing cover of "Scarborough Fair", in…
Ako's Dream
One of the wonderfully creative 70s sets from Japanese stringman Isao Suzuki – an artist who also plays bass, but who works here on jazz cello – for a very unusual approach! The set has Suzuki's work on the light strings matched in a combo with lead guitar from Kazumi Watanabe – who's nicely restrained here, and falls in with Isao's strings at a level that's quite different than his own material of the time. Watanabe's lead is augmented by further rhythm guitar work by Kazumasa Akiyama, and the …
Misty
*2022 stock* Few, if any, international audiophile jazz recordings have maintained the kind of deep and profound influence over techniques and even entire label repretoire as Three Blind Mice's Blow Up, Midnight Sugar and Misty. Originally recorded in Tokyo in 1974, this Piano Trio release from TBM features Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on piano, Isoo Fukui on bass and Tetsujiro Obara on drums. The of-the-moment realism of Yoshihiko Kannari's recordings and production aesthetic of producer and label head Ta…
Now!!
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 Castle" show his lyrical, "quiet but emotional," qualities. "Alter" is an adventurous tune whose focus is on free improvisation while "Gehi Dorian" is a modal composition as the title suggests.
Blow Up
A fantastic electric album from one of the most unique bassists of the 70s – Blow Up is one of the most sough-after titles from the acclaimed Three Blind Mice catalog. Isao Suzuki's Blow-Up is virtuosity and class all rolled up into one. A great combination of upbeat blues and mellow grooves! The album was awarded "Jazz of Japan" Award and the Jazz Disc Award of "Swing Journal" in 1973."This adventurous set finds Suzuki and his band mates (drummer George Otsuka, pianist Kunihiko Sugano, and bass…
Orang-Utan
Bassist Isao Suzuki's popularity shot up to stratosphere with the release of Blow Up from the Three Blind Mice label. By the time he recorded this, fourth album for the label, he was actually the winner of the Swing Journal Readers' Poll. And this rather strangely titled album doesn't disappoint.Suzuki had a knack for surrounding himself with superb musicians and playing brilliant, groovy music that is firmly rooted in the jazz tradition. This time, he picked as the all-important horn player Ken…
Green Caterpillar
Pianist Imada Masaru was 42 years old when he recorded this album in 1975. His adventurous spirit led him to use the electric piano for the first time in a recording, and thanks to his musicianship, he made it sound like he'd been playing the instrument for years. The program opens with the title track, a sophisticated urban funk. Guitarist Kazumi Watanabe plays a big role here. It is followed by a more intricate, fusion-like "Straight Flash." The all-original-composition program switches gear o…
Live at FarOut, Atsugi 1987
Bristling with tension and remarkable restrained interplay, encountering both players at the top of their game, No Business’ latest LP, Live at FarOut, Atsugi 1987, a never before issed duo between Bailey and the Japanese saxophonist, Mototeru Takagi, is easily among the best documents of free improvisation we’ve heard all year.
Hokusai
NoBusiness presents Hokusai, a new set of recordings by Sabu Toyozumi and Mats Gustafsson, recorded live on 11th and 12th June, 2018 at Jazz Spot Candy, Chiba, Japan by Kunimitsu Tsuburai / 粒来国充. Concert produced by Miyoko Hayashi / 林美葉子Jazz Spot Candy. Mastered by Arūnas Zujus at MAMAstudios.
Sabu Toyozumi 豊住芳三郎 - drumsMats Gustafsson - baritone saxophone, fluteophone, flute
Live at Jazz Inn Lovely 1990
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 and composed by Masayuki JoJo Takayanagi, Nobuyoshi Ino and Masabumi PUU Kikuchi. Track 2 & 3 improvised and composed by Masayuki JoJo Takayanagi and Nobuyoshi Ino. Gigs produced by Katsuhiko Kawai 河合勝彦. Tapes provided by Koujiro Tanaka 田中康次郎. Mastere…
Archive 2
This work is an uncut recording of the second part of the regular concert vol.57 (September 24, 1984, at Shibuya Jean-Jean) of the new Direction Unit led by Masayuki Takayanagi. It is a performance in which Hiroshi Yamazaki participates as a percussionist on a twin guitar with Akira Mejima, who is also a disciple of Takayanagi.
Akira Mejima is a high-ranking younger brother who has taught at a guitar school on behalf of Takayanagi, so Iijima's guitar heard from the left channel sometimes sounds …
Not Blues
* 2020 Stock * Not Blues is a live recording of the contemporary jazz group Masayuki Takayanagi Jazz Contemporary 4, which was formed in February 1969. It was the year when the group New Direction was formed and the first recording "Independence" under the name of New Direction was released in September the following year. In other words, this work is a record of "jazz performance" just before Masayuki Takayanagi moved to free jazz.
According to the commentary by guitarist Kazuo Imai (that studi…
Meta Improvisation
Masayuki Takayanagi's live solo performances recorded from 1984 Hokkaido Tour, selected and edited by Otomo Yoshihide; incredible electronics and guitar work from the pre-Action Direct freestyle improviser... "This is Takayanagi's live solo performances recorded from 1984 Hokkaido Tour. tunes were selected and edited by Otomo Yoshihide. those takayanagi solo performances were cued himself to organize "Action Direct" right after. So "Meta Improvisation" is the pre-"Action Direct", that is to say:…
A Jazzy Profile of Jojo
* 2020 Stock * A Jazzy Profile of Jojo is composed of standard jazz masterpieces interpreted by Masayuki Takayanagi. It was recorded in March 1970 immediately after the start of the New Direction (1969). Legendary recordings with Kaoru Abe such as "Dismantling Sympathy" were also performed in the same period. Considering this, "A Jazzy Profile of Jojo" can be defined as a representative recording of Takayanagi's jazz style at a time when the transition from the more established forms of jazz to …