Shibuya Jazz Classics: Nobukazu Takemura Collection (2005)

Japanese jazz of the 70s - all pulled from the legendary catalog of Three Blind Mice Records, and hand-selected by Nobukazu Takemura himself! During the 70s, the Japanese jazz scene was in an incredibly intense phase - one that had players breaking out of older modes that were often strict copies of American jazz, and working in newer styles that often blended soul, modal, and spiritual jazz with freer-thinking ideas and more Eastern-inspired modes. The result was an incredible batch of music that was probably more strongly recorded by the Three Blind Mice label than any other Japanese imprint - because unlike some of their contemporaries, TBM didn't fill their catalog with work by American players, and often focused exclusively on Japanese artists. Plus, TBM also let their players go a bit more "out" than usual - really pushing the boundaries of modern jazz on the Tokyo scene, at a level that's still only partially acknowledged outside of Japan. This 2CD set is a great overview of those years - and it brings together some of the more groove-oriented material you'd expect from Takemura's selection with other tracks that are much more experimental - often concerned with sound textures and unusual instrumental combinations! 15 long tracks in all - including "One For Trane" by Nosuke Miyamoto Sextet, "Encounter" by Allan Praskin Quartet, "Sketches" by Masayuki Takayanagi, "Be Still My Soul" by Kosuke Mine Quartet, "Tomorrow" by Hideo Ichikawa Trio, "Mr Gabe" by Hideto Kanai Quintet, "Winter Song" by Hiroshi Fukumura Quintet, "Sun In The East" by Masayuki Takayanagi & New Direction For The Arts, "Spring & Swing" by Albert Mangelsdorff Quartet, and "Spanish Flower" by Tee & Company. (Review courtesy of Dusty Groove)