A landmark session of world jazz! This is one of the first entries in MPS' "Jazz Meets The World" series – and it features the quintet of Japanese drummer Hideo Shiraki (featuring a young Terumasa Hino on trumpet), working with additional traditional instrumentation by three female Koto players. The combination of postwar Japanese hardbop and folkloric melodies is astounding – and the format allows the jazz players to groove at their best, while still interacting nicely with the Kotos. The record is a gem through and through – with a visionary sound that shows that MPS was already one of the most groundbreaking labels in jazz, even at an early age. Titles include "Alone Alone and Alone", "Suvwa", "Yamanaka Bushi", and "Sakura, Sakura". (Jazz, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album