In Pictures: Free and Modern Jazz From Japan 1954-1988

A new book is highlighting Japanese jazz music. 

Released earlier this year, J Jazz: Free and Modern Jazz From Japan 1954-1988 is a book that dives deep into the world of Japanese jazz across the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Compiled by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden and featuring a foreword by Japanese jazz hero, Terumasa Hino, the book features over 500 albums from an essential time in jazz’s development in the country.

From the large collection of records included, Tony Higgins selects 15 essential highlights for The Vinyl Factory.

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Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffaloes – Electrum

Japan has produced some of the very best jazz drummers in the world and Akira Ishikawa was one who played across soundtracks, afro, fusion, Latin, funk and much more. Electrum was recorded in 1970 and is a key album in the famed and much sought-after Victor Japan Jazz Series.

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Bobby Hutcherson – Oblique

Recorded by the great vibraphone master in 1967 but only released in Japan for the first time in 1979 as part of the Blue Note ‘World First Appearance’ Series. Japan has the best range of Blue Note titles in the world and the J Jazz book features a chapter on the iconic label’s Japanese editions.

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East Bionic Symphonia – Recorded Live

Recorded live in Tokyo July 13, 1976, and released on ALM Records, one of the most progressive and experimental of the private labels. A mixture of free jazz and electronic drone effects, it’s a trippy multi textured album. It was also original issued on cassette as well as vinyl.

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George Kawaguchi and The Big 4 – The Life

Kawaguchi rose the fame in the 1950s as a star drummer. His career saw him navigate most of the changes in jazz fashion up to the 1980s, spanning hard bop, big band, bossa nova, post-bop, and fusion.

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Hidehiko Matsumoto – Sleepy Matsumoto

Matsumoto was one of the leading modern horn players of the ’50s and early ’60s. This is his debut album recorded in 1958, and the relatively plain sleeve is typical of that early era.

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Hideo Shiraki – In Fiesta

Regarded as the leading jazz drummer in Japan from the 1950s to the mid 1960s, Shiraki’s 1961 hard bop masterpiece Fiesta is notable for his striking sleeve art, with Shiraki in traditional dress, a rare change from the usual Ivy League suits of the era.

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King’s Roar – Original

A very rare yet outstanding example of late ’60s big band pressure. It features the mind-bending 15-minute epic “Jingisukan”, in a session led by bassist Hideto Kanai, who appeared on numerous albums from the 1950s through to the 1980s.

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Kosuke Ichihara – Departure – Introducing Kosuke Ichihara

Mega rare outing from 1970 for saxophonist Ichihara on this post-modal monster jam. He’s joined by a true genius, pianist and composer Masahiko Sato, who wrote all four tracks. Intoxicating, psychedelic stuff.

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Mal Waldron – Tokyo Reverie

Waldron was one of many US artists who made second careers in Japan. He recorded some of his best work for the Japanese market, including this beautiful solo session in 1970. Anything with Waldron’s name on it is worth picking up, especially his Japanese albums.

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Sadao Watanabe – Paysages

The Godfather of modern Japanese jazz, saxophonist and flautist Sadao Watanabe was a crucial figure in encouraging a new generation of Japanese jazz artist to emerge in the late 1960s. Released in 1971, Paysages features American bassist Gary Peacock alongside an A-list Japanese group laying down extended modal grooves and dense trippy rhythmic textures of electric piano, bass and percussion overplayed with flutes and sax.

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Sadayasu Fujii Trio – Psalm

One of many private press albums featured in the J Jazz book. This is an acoustic trio session from 1984 and is representative of a movement that saw many younger players set themselves against the electric fusion sound that dominated so much of the jazz scene at that time.

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Terumasa Hino – Live In Concert

Trumpeter Terumasa Hino is one of the legends of post war jazz in Japan. From his hard bop days in the mid ’60s though his free and avant-garde years of the 1970s to his jazz funk and fusion played by UK jazz dance DJs, Hino is a true J Jazz icon. He also wrote the foreword to the book. This is a killer live set on the exemplary East Wind label.

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Tetsuya Morimura And His Group – Climax Sound Of Tetsuya Morimura

Cut in 1971 by drummer Tatuya Morimura when he was 16, this super rare album also features his saxophonist brother Kyoichiroh, and pianist Tohru Aizawa. They would all go on to reunite in 1975 on the J Jazz holy grail private press, Tachibana Vol 1 (see The Vinyl Factory feature from 2018).

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Various Artists – 2 To 10 Saxophone Adventure

Uber rare flesh-tearing live set from April 1970. One side is a duo the other, a 10-piece band, hence the title. Assuming you can find one, a copy with the obi would cost you the same as a small family car.

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Yasutaka Tsutsui, Kosuke Ichihara, Masahiko Sato – Rumour

File under avant-garde jazz, experimental, psychedelic, prog rock – because it covers all of these bases. A real trip into the unknown on this quadrophonic 1973 rarity.

J Jazz: Free and Modern Jazz From Japan 1954-1988 by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden is available to order now.