A wonderfully wide-ranging look at the more unique aspects of Japanese jazz from the 60s onward – a set that mixes together spiritual tracks, bossa nova, and some surprisingly soulful tracks too – all from records that were only ever issued in Japan! If you've heard the great first volume, you'll know what to expect here – but we can also say that the scope of work here might even be better, and there's some great surprises along the way – especially on cuts that show the way these Japanese jazz musicians have taken some inspiration from American music, then really run far in their own new directions with the work. Titles include "Yamame" by Akira Miyazawa, "Loving You" by George Otsuka, "Down To The Sea" by Yoshio Ikeda, "Clair Deluge" by Toshiyaki Yokota & The Beat Generation, "Saynoara Blues" by Hideo Shiraki, "Blossom In The Water" by Masao Yagi, "Day Of The Sun" by Masahiko Togashi & Isao Suzuki, "Summer Wind" by Yasuko Nagamine & Yasuaki Shimizo, "Desireless" by Masahiko Togashi, "Lady Boogie" by Takeru Muaroka & His New Grup, "Constant Rain" by Tadao Sawai & Toshiyuki Miyama, and "Ma Mere L'Oye" by Jun Date & Masayki Takayanagi. (Funky Compilations, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from this early 70s Japanese folk-rock combo that featured Harumi Hosono, years before his more electronic work! The collection includes 12 songs from the groups first three albums, with vocals that are mostly in Japanese, but sung in a mode that's so compelling, it hardly matters what they're saying – and the tunes themselves are catchy as heck! (Rock, Japanese) CD

Wonderfully folksy rock from this obscure Japanese group – an early 70s combo that included Harumi Hosono, years before his more electronic work! The sound of the album borrows a lot from the best of America's late 60s underground folk rock scene – and the production's an amazing blend of compressed guitars, slightly funky bass, and a nice spacious sense of arrangement that creates a surprising amount of soul. Vocals are mostly in Japanese, but sung in a mode that's so compelling – and the tunes themselves are catchy as heck! (Rock, Japanese) CD

A completely wonderful album from Haruomi Hosono – a real watershed not just in his own career, but in the development of mainstream Japanese music too! The set's got the sophistication of the best of the singer/songwriter underground in the US – not just in the lyrical presentation, which you might not be able to understand – but also in terms of the overall production, arrangements, and instrumentation – which seem to echo some of the hippest currents of that LA underground that often found its greatest flowering in those under-sold albums on Warner Brothers during the late 60s. Hosono's vocals are wonderful – completely charming, even if you can't grasp the language – and the album's a much-treasured set from the Japanese 70s scene. LP, Vinyl record album

A really deep dig into the Japanese scene of the 90s – a unique discography that brings together key records in a variety of different styles – from tuneful to noisy, soulful to electronic! The book's a more contemporary variation of the sort of Japanese discographies we normally stock for jazz and soul music – and like those, it's got listings for titles with a full color reproduction of the cover, some details in English, and more text in Japanese. The feel is a bit like flipping through the record racks in Tokyo – where you can understand the context and the nature of the records, even if you can't understand the language. The book features sections on a wide range of styles – including Japanese house, Japanese hip hop, club jazz, Japanese dub, techno, Japanese lounge, J Rock, avant noise, alternative, and even sections on labels like Crue-L and Sokkyo. There's shorter features along the way – all in Japanese – and the book is softcover, full color, and almost 200 pages. (Books, Japanese) Book

60s jazz meets Japanese bamboo flute – all in a session with a great mix of groovy and exotic touches! The record's a unique meeting of jazz and folkloric elements – done in a style that's a bit like some of the late 60s sessions of this nature on MPS, but a fair bit groovier overall – as the tracks are shorter and more focused, and often have a nice sort of bounce at the bottom. Flute is by Minoru Muraoka, and arrangements are by Takashi Ikeda and Kozaburo Yamaki, conducting their New Dimension and New Emotion groups respectively. Bits of sitar bring in an even groovier sound to the record – and the flute itself has some oddly off-kilter notes that further trip out the tunes. Titles include "Soul Bamboo", "Take Five", "The Positive & The Negative", "Call Me", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose", and "Scarborough Fair". (Jazz, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual entry in this legendary anime series! (Soundtracks, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album

Weird and wild work from this Japanese kids show of the 70s! LP, Vinyl record album

Poll winners from the Japanese scene of the late 50s – stepping out in a special live performance from the time! The album's almost got a Verve Records sort of feel – especially from the all-star tip – and tunes are more swing than bop, although there's definitely a few modern touches from time to time. Notes are all in Japanese, so it's hard to say who's on which cut – but the set features work from Eji Kitamura, Jimmy Takeuchi, Seiji Hiraoka, Akio Nagata, and others – on titles that include "Someday Sweetheart", "Moonglow", "Shine", "Sweet Lorraine", "Tendery", "Russo", and "Padam Padam". (Jazz, Japanese) LP, Vinyl record album