Warmly collaborative work from Grey October Sounds – a set that features guest contributors, but all fitting nicely into the laidback groove that we've come to love from this Lo-Fi series of releases! As with the others, there's a nicely crispy vibe that really keeps things interesting – definitely living up to the spirit of the "lo fi" mode – as if some analog production elements were used to mix up the beats, samples, and other instrumentation! Guests include Michael Jvmes, NHF, Coco, and Samurai Yas – and titles include "Wonderlust", "Reverie", "Slow Down", "Eye To Eye", "Tokyo Salute", "Walking Alone At 2am", and "Home Banter". LP, Vinyl record album

A brilliant mid 70s session by tenor legend Johnny Griffin – one that hearkens back to his earlier, freer days, and which features the long, driving solo style he forged during his time in Europe at the end of the 60s. The session's recorded live in Tokyo with a quartet that includes Horace Parlan piano, Mads Vinding bass, and Art Taylor drums – and each side of the album features one long track, done in a stretched-out, very driving style, thanks to stellar drum work by Taylor. Titles include "Soft & Furry" and "The Man I Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most hard-burning Johnny Griffin records of the 70s – a cooking live se recorded in Tokyo, with energy that's much more freewheeling and open than his studio records of the time! The tracks are all quite long, and move with a quickly-expressive quality that's totally great – that fast-thinking tenor solo mode that Griff first forged back in Chicago, getting some great support here from a group that includes Horace Parlan on piano, Mads Vinding on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. The interplay of the rhythm section really opens up the long tracks to plenty of creative exploration – and titles include "When We Were One", "All The Things You Are", "Wee", "The Man I Love", and "Soft & Furry". LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Dave and Don Grusin on acoustic and electric pianos, Rhodes, and OBX synthesizer, Lee Ritenour and Eric Gale on guitars, Steve Gadd on drums, Anthony Jackson on bass, Rubens Bassini on percussion, George Young on saxophones, flute, and piccolo, Tiger Okoshi on trumpet and flugelhorn, and The Dream Orchestra featuring NHK Strings and Tokyo Brass Ensemble. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful duo outing from bassist Charlie Haden and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba – recorded at the Blue Note in Toyko in 2005 – finally given a much deserved release on Impulse after languishing unheard for a decade! It's a great little set, Haden laying down a stoic rhythm and providing lots of room for his partner to provide sweet piano melodies. Includes Haden's own wonderful piece "Sandino" and Rubalcaba's own "Transparence", plus the lovely, though melancholy-touched "Solamente Una Vez (You Belong To My Heart)", "En La Orilla Del Mundo (The Edge Of The World)", a nice long take on "My Love And I" and Ornette Coleman's "When Will The Blues Leave". CD

Great work from Earl Hagen – one of TV's better composers, as you'll hear from this tight set of tracks! The CD features a set of tracks that's greatly expanded from the original soundtrack LP – adding in lots of bonus material that has never been issued to the public, for a full package of 25 tracks that really gets at the heart of Hagen's genius! The core mode of the music is crime jazz, but Hagen also adds in a lot of dramatic flourishes and contemplative passages – and the show's exotic locales (Mexico, Japan, Burma, Hong Kong) makes for some added musical touches that bring a groovy global aspect to the work. Packaged with great notes on Hagen, the music, and the show – and with 25 titles that include "Babe With Rocks", "Stop That Plane", "The Whistle Blows", "Tokyo", "Don Silvando", and "Taxi Tour". CD

A rare 70s set from guitarist Jim Hall! The record's got maybe a bit more bite than some of Jim's airier sessions from the 70s – a strong power with Hall in the lead not just as a sound-shaper, but also as a more pronounced force in the trio – with some surprisingly edgey moments that really make the album stand out from the pack! There's some wonderfully deft passages here that really remind us how great Hall can be in the right setting – and the setting here features Don Thompson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums – on titles that include "Twister", "St Thomas", "Billie's Bounce", "Secret Love", and "Chelsea Bridge". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare one from Herbie Hancock – with a very unique sound for the time! The set was recorded in Tokyo, and only issued for the Japanese market – and it features Herbie playing solo acoustic piano, working in a very warm intimate setting that's quite different from his more electric American sides of the time. The sound is great, and surprisingly full – and despite the fact that there's no electronics or other players on the set, Herbie really brings a lot of creativity to the album! Titles include "Blue Otani", "Manhattan Island", "Harvest Time", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD

A rare one from Herbie Hancock – with a very unique sound for the time! The set was recorded in Tokyo, and only issued for the Japanese market – and it features Herbie playing solo acoustic piano, working in a very warm intimate setting that's quite different from his more electric American sides of the time. The sound is great, and surprisingly full – and despite the fact that there's no electronics or other players on the set, Herbie really brings a lot of creativity to the album! Titles include "Blue Otani", "Manhattan Island", "Harvest Time", and "On Green Dolphin Street". CD features 4 bonus alternate takes, too! CD

A legendary album of instrumental music inspired by the Lord Of The Rings – maybe not the all-out Frodo Fest you might expect, but a set that's been pretty important to fans of JRR Tokien over the years – especially in the years before DVDs and other mass-market versions of his masterpiece! Bo Hansson works here heavy on keyboards, but also uses some nicely spacey guitars – all spun out over tunes that could each work as mini-soundtracks for separate sections of the three volume book – with titles that include "Fog On The Barrow Downs", "Leaving The Shire", "Lothlorien", "Shadowfax", "The Black Riders & Flight To The Ford", and "Dreams In The House Of Healing". CD

A legendary album of instrumental music inspired by the Lord Of The Rings – maybe not the all-out Frodo Fest you might expect, but a set that's been pretty important to fans of JRR Tokien over the years – especially in the years before DVDs and other mass-market versions of his masterpiece! Bo Hansson works here heavy on keyboards, but also uses some nicely spacey guitars – all spun out over tunes that could each work as mini-soundtracks for separate sections of the three volume book – with titles that include "Fog On The Barrow Downs", "Leaving The Shire", "Lothlorien", "Shadowfax", "The Black Riders & Flight To The Ford", and "Dreams In The House Of Healing". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning work from one of the greatest players of the post-Coltrane generation – a classic session recorded overseas in the mid 70s, and one that's filled with soulful expressions from the great Billy Harper! Harper's tenor kicks off the set with an immediately gripping sound – as searing as Pharoah Sanders at his Impulse best – but driven on by searching, soaring modal rhythms that are all Billy's own – the kind of grooves he first forged with Max Roach, then really expanded on when given the freedom of a record like this. Other players include trumpeter Virgil Jones, pianist Joe Bonner, bassist David Friesen, and drummer Malcom Pinson – and titles include a killer take on "Croquet Ballet", which Harper originally recorded with Lee Morgan – plus the titles "Dance Eternal Spirits Dance" and "Call Of The Wild & Peaceful Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing set – all four of the legendary Warner Brothers albums by harmony giants Harpers Bizarre – plus bonus tracks too! First up is Feelin Groovy – the fab first LP by Harpers Bizarre! The group were one of the strangest pop ensembles operating in the seminal LA scene of the mid 60s – ostensibly a sweet harmony vocal group, but with a strangely childish approach that also had an ear open for the mind-blowing production styles of the Brian Wilson era. Van Dyke Parks was a big supporter of the group – and they perform a sublime version of his tune "Come To The Sunshine" as the leadoff track on the album – and even though Van Dyke didn't handle the arrangements of the record, the style of the music is very similar to his own, with guitar, bass, and drums coming into play with strings, woodwinds, and baroque orchestral touches. The record is as dark as it is sublime – one of those pop gems that hit big, but which has a brooding depth bubbling underneath the sugary coating – ala Pet Sounds. Tracks include "Happy Talk", "The Debutantes Ball", "I Can Hear The Darkness", "Raspberry Rug", and their huge hit version of "59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin Groovy)". Next is Anything Goes – the group's second album – and while it has a lot of similarities with the first, it's also a lot deeper of an expression of their strange blend of harmony vocals, sweet 60s pop, and the nostalgia for the early 20th century that was running through the Burbank Warner scene that included a young Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman, Lenny Waronker, and other LA underground of the mid 60s. The whole record fits together beautifully – beginning with an old-timey radio kind of announcer, then sliding into sublimely crafted harmony tunes that include originals from the LA luminaries and the group, plus a few other surprising covers. Titles include the hit version of "Anything Goes", plus "The Biggest Night Of Her Life", "Milord", "Virginia City", "High Coin", "Jessie", "This Is Only The Beginning", and "You Need A Change". The Secret Life Of Harpers Bizarre is the third album by Harpers Bizarre – and one that shows them growing in leaps and bounds with each new release! The record is a sublime fusion of sweet pop California 60s harmonies (ala The Sandpipers or The Lettermen), baroque arrangements with a fake dreamy nostalgia (ala Van Dyke Parks or Randy Newman), and drug-addled underground takes on the eazy sound of the generation (ala Brian Wilson or Love). This album is one of their most perfectly-realized visions, and it features a great blend of older songs, all hipped-up to modern LA arrangements by the likes of Nick De Caro, Perry Botkin, and others. The record has an approach that's simply mindblowing when you consider the amount of funds and effort that must have been put into a record that would only be truly appreciated 40 years later – and it's filled with great titles that include "Me, Japanese Boy", "Look To The Rainbow", "Funny How Love Can Be", "Mad", "Green Apple Tree", and "Las Mananitas". Last up is the group's fourth album, unfortunately, the last Warner album by Harpers Bizarre – one of the few testaments of genius left to us by this incredible group! The record shows the group moving past the sweet pop and dreamy nostalgia of earlier albums – tentatively stepping into the haze of the late 60s LA scene with a blend of songs that share a lot musically with earlier work, but which also seem to have a more adult approach to some of their themes. Arrangements are by the group mostly – with help from pop geniuses like Jack Nitzsche, Nick De Caro, Lenny Waronker, Harry Nilsson, and Perry Botkin Jr. The harmonies are sublime – and the group effortlessly blends original tunes like "Soft Soundin Music", "All Through The Night", "When The Band Begins To Play", and "There's No Time Like Today, along with bizarre covers like "Hard To Handle", "Something Better", "I Love You Alice B Toklas", and Jim Pepper's "Witchi Tai To", which is worth the price of the record alone! Bonus tracks include "Both Sides Now", "Small Talk", "Poly High", "If We Ever Needed The Lord Before", "Malibu U", "Cotton Candy Sandman", "Lost My Love Today", and "Bye Bye Bye". CD

Barry Harris recorded live in Tokyo – working at the intimate Dug nightclub, with backing from Japanese players Kunimitsuj Inaba on bass and Fumio Watanabe on drums! The style here is in the warmer side of the Harris spectrum – sometimes introspective, sometimes a bit more grooving – but always played with a strong degree of sensitivity on the keys of the piano, and recorded in a way that has Barry right out front in the mix. There's a great sense of maturity and grace going on here – and if anything, Harris has become an even more interesting pianist as the years have gone on – dropping some of his too-powerful styles from earlier years, in favor of well-placed notes and a greatly expanded sense of space that really comes through on this set. Titles include "Luminescence", "Somebody Loves Me", "No Name Blues", "Oblivion", "It Could Happen To You", "East Of The Sun", and "Nascimento". CD

A great live set from pianist Barry Harris – material recorded on the same date that gave us the excellent Live In Tokyo album from reedman Charles McPherson – but done in a very different way that shows that Barry's clearly the leader on these tracks! The rhythm duo is wonderful – the mighty Sam Jones on bass and Leroy Williams on drums – players who can crackle when Harris wants them to, yet also lay back and give Barry lots of spacious territory to work some incredibly deft, personal magic on the keys. The sound almost takes us back to the initial Harris recordings of the early 60s, but also has some of those colors that would flow even more freely in some of his sessions for the Japanese market – on titles that include "I'll Remember April", "Fukai Aijo", "A Soft Spot", "Round Midnight", and "Un Poco Loco". LP, Vinyl record album

A great live set from pianist Barry Harris – material recorded on the same date that gave us the excellent Live In Tokyo album from reedman Charles McPherson – but done in a very different way that shows that Barry's clearly the leader on these tracks! The rhythm duo is wonderful – the mighty Sam Jones on bass and Leroy Williams on drums – players who can crackle when Harris wants them to, yet also lay back and give Barry lots of spacious territory to work some incredibly deft, personal magic on the keys. The sound almost takes us back to the initial Harris recordings of the early 60s, but also has some of those colors that would flow even more freely in some of his sessions for the Japanese market – on titles that include "I'll Remember April", "Fukai Aijo", "A Soft Spot", "Round Midnight", and "Un Poco Loco". CD features four bonus tracks too – two versions of "Ornithology", plus "Like Someone In Love" and "Night In Tunisia", both nice and long! CD

Ray Harris is a heck of a great keyboardist – one with plenty of influences from the 60s and 70s, and a groove that more than lives up to the title of the set! The style's a bit less conventionally "fusion" than you might expect – and instead, there's almost a club jazz feel at times – modes from scenes like those at Irma or Ricky Tick, served up with plenty of warm touches, and a blend of real jazz instrumentation and solos with just a bit of occasionally programmed beats. Harris' plays piano, organ, clavinet, and Rhodes – often more than one on the same tune, for an approach that has that great blend of acoustic and electric elements you might find on some of the more soulful jazz sessions of the 70s. And there's also a bit of vocals on the record – but always used somewhat sparingly, in a way that takes a definite back stage to the long, grooving keyboard lines on the set! Titles include "The Sioux", "Scaramunga", "My Last Chance", "Interpretation", "There's Nothing Like You", "Origin", "Tokyo Blue", "One Of A Kind", and a great cover of "Riders On The Storm". CD

Some of the hippest American work of the 70s by vocalist Johnny Hartman – smooth, sophisticated, and with a groove that's almost somewhat different than his more famous records of the decade before! Hartman's captured here in a live setting that's intimate, but never too sleepy or standard – warmly relaxed with backing from a trio that includes Reggie Moore on piano and Bill English on bass – and recorded with some great between-songs patter from Johnny, showing a charm that goes even beyond his studio sides. Titles include "On Green Dolphin Street", "Didn't We", "Watch What Happens", "Help Me Make It Through The Night", "Bidin My Time", "If", "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", "I've Got To Be Me", "Blues", and "Lush Life". CD also features 8 bonus tracks – recorded live in Tokyo in 1977 with Roland Hanna on piano and George Mraz on bass – on titles that include "Send In The Clowns", "My Foolish Heart", "On A Clear Day", "Summertime", and "The Way We Were". CD

The seminal debut of Hatfield & The North – a group that maybe came a bit late in the UK prog scene of the early 70s, but who had a huge influence for decades to come! The quartet are a late transformation of the earlier Canterbury sound – leaner, maybe jazzier, and with a great ear for warm tones and organic elements that help hold the complexity of their music to the surface of the planet. Plus, there's this more open, honest quality to some of the work – especially the vocals – that quality, say, that made Matching Mole so different than Soft Machine. The whole lineup is an all-star affair – Richard Sinclair on bass and vocals, Pip Pyle on drums, Phil Miller on guitars, and Dave Stewart on organ, piano, and tone generator – plus some nice guest sax and flute from Geoff Leigh of Henry Cow, and vocals from Robert Wyatt on one track. Titles include "The Stubbs Effect", "Calyx", "Licks For Ladies", "Bossa Nochance", "Big Jobs No 2", "Lobster In A Cleavage Probe", and "Rifferama". This CD edition includes the bonus tracks "Let's Eat Real Soon", "Fitter Stoke Has A Bath" and "Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut". CD

An unusual session from Hampton Hawes – recorded in Tokyo during the late 60s, and issued as sort of a one-off album for RCA in the 70s. The album's got a lot of sensitivity on the recording tip, with excellent acoustics, and a warm sense of production that brings out all of the beautiful tones that Hampton gets from the instrument. The tracks are mostly short, with a mix of originals and standards. Cuts include "Tokyo Blues", "Young People's Tune", "Shinjuku", and "Summertime". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy jamming with guitarist Hiram Bullock and a great group of Japanese cats, including Kankawa on organ and keyboards, Kenji Hino on electric bass, and Fuyu on drums. Titles include "Smoke On The Water", "California Dreaming", "Jan Jan", and two Kankawa originals – "Organic Swamp" and "Cat Street". CD

An excellent album – and one of Joe Henderson's boldest sets from the early 70s! The record features Joe working with a hip group of young Japanese players that includes Terumasa Hino on trumpet and Masabumi Kikuchi on piano and electric piano – and the sextet format of the session stretches way past Joe's other Japanese recording from the time, which was issued in the US on Milestone. This one features very long tracks, with tremendous intensity from both the group and Joe, who's got a real edginess to his playing here. Includes a version of "So What", plus the originals "Sunrise In Tokyo" and "Get Magic Again". CD

An excellent album – and one of Joe Henderson's boldest sets from the early 70s! The record features Joe working with a hip group of young Japanese players that includes Terumasa Hino on trumpet and Masabumi Kikuchi on piano and electric piano – and the sextet format of the session stretches way past Joe's other Japanese recording from the time, which was issued in the US on Milestone. This one features very long tracks, with tremendous intensity from both the group and Joe, who's got a real edginess to his playing here. Includes a version of "So What", plus the originals "Sunrise In Tokyo" and "Get Magic Again". CD

A mindblowing journey in sound – a dip into the archives of French composer Pierre Henry – the postwar master of electronics and musique concrete, and an artist who was still very active in the final years of his life! The material here was all either recorded or reworked in Henry's own studio during the last few years of his time on the planet – with some tracks that revisit important early compositions, but with a different sonic perspective – mixed with a few new pieces that really continue that wellspring of recording that Henry was doing from the mid 90s onward! There's a wonderful array of sonic elements throughout – plenty of electronics, compelling tape and analog sounds, and lots more that we're hard pressed to figure out – in the best tradition of Pierre's music. Titles include "Variance (remix de Variations)", "Rock Electronique/La Reine Verte", "Prologue/Messe Pour Le Temps Present", "Danse/Mouvement Rythme Etude", "Final/Utopia Hip Hop", "Tokyo 2002", "Machine Danse", and "Tunne De La Mort/Le Fil De La Vie". LP features bonus tracks "Metamorphose/Fragments Rituels", "Enchevetrements De Spirales/Tam Tam Du Merveilleux", and "Etincell Qui Relie Deux Nuits". LP, Vinyl record album

Solid, soulful work from Vincent Herring – blowing here wonderfully on alto and soprano sax, with a sense of feeling and creative energy that really makes him one of the key players of his generation! The proceedings are relatively straight, but they're also totally great – open, honest expression that's a nice update of 70s indie jazz modes – held together tightly by a rhythm section that includes Mulgrew Miller on piano, Ira Coleman on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums on most of the records – or Keven Hays, Dwayne Burno, and Carl Allen on a few remaining selections. Wallace Roney plays trumpet on the first set of tracks – Scott Wendholt on the others – and the whole album has a sharp-edged quintet format with an occasional bite, often rolling out in the kind of upbeat lines that usually make Herring sound best. Titles include "Sound Check", "August Afternoon", "Dawnbird", "Dr Jamie", "Toku Do", and "The Dark Side Of Dewey". CD

Pianist John Hicks at his lyrical best – stretching out here on really lovely, long tracks that were recorded in Tokyo with a really superb sound! There's an undercurrent of spiritual energy here that really recalls Hicks' classic 70s album on the Strata East label – and even without bass or drums, he's got this inherently rhythmic quality that's wonderful – and which only seems to encourage the magical flow of ideas from his fingers on the keys! Hicks has sounded great before on record, but this set is definitely a demonstration of the pianist at his best – full of imagination and focused emotion – on titles that include "After The Morning", "What Am I Here For", "Meditation", "Naima", "Talking", "Pensativa", "Steadfast", and "Avotcja". CD

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Almost everything you could ask for from composer Joe Hisaishi and Studio Ghibli together in one sweet box set! The package includes 10 original soundtracks, each one presented in a cool replica LP-style sleeve, and includes the scores from Nausicaa Of Valley Of The Wind, Castle In The Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, The Wind Rises, and the short film Mr. Dough And The Egg Princess – plus an additional image album for Castle In The Sky and a bonus track from Kiki's Delivery Service! CD

A compelling new group from Japan – one who work in a mix of jazzy styles and gentler modes that reminds us a bit of the earliest grooves from Jazztronik! Hotel New Tokyo share a similar love of space and sensitive sounds with Jazztronik mainman Ryo Nozaki, but also know how to kick up a groove when they want – and the album balances sparer, more soundscapey tracks with fuller tunes that are awash in rhythm and have a playful mix of sound samples, voice snippets, and instrumentation. Titles include "Dun Dun", "Trip In Jazz", "PM 7:42", and others with Japanese titles! CD

Jazz funk genius from Freddie Hubbard in the mid 70s! Gleam was a Japanese-only double album from the jazz giant in its original release – mighty funky at times, too – right up there with some of the best Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock Japanese sets from the 70s! It's a live set captured in March of '75 at Tokyo's Yubin Chokin Hall – long numbers played by a group that includes Freddie on trumpet, Carl Randall on tenor and flute, George Cables on electric piano, Henry Franklin on bass, Carl Burnett on drums, and Buck Clark on percussion! Each player has plenty of space to groove, and it's very well captured – you can hear the most expressive solos and the most subtle nuances. Some great solos by Freddie and the rest of the players – breathless tenor & flute by Randall, keys by Cables that are jazz funk perfection and interplay between Burnett's drums and Clark's congas & percussion that's somehow tense and comfortable at the same time. The shortest number in the set runs more than the 7 minutes and the longest is more than 20 minutes – and none is one second shorter than necessary, actually leaving us pining for more – making it all the more vital in the double album format. Released on 2CDs for the first time ever here! How this great album has been so hard to find over the years is a mystery. Titles include "Kuntu", "Spirits Of Trane", an amazing cover of Stevie Wonder's "Too High", "Midnight At The Oasis", "Ebony Moonbeams", and "Put It In The Pocket". LP, Vinyl record album

The masterpiece by one of the most obscure artists in the Italian sound library scene of the early 70s – music that easily moves from funky sounds to cosmic styles to jazzy moments and beyond – sometimes within the space of a single tune! Gerardo Iacoucci's music is a huge change from the kind more facile sound library material coming out of the UK – the sorts of short, catchy songs designed for easy use in commercials or TV – and instead, the work here is richly conceived and presented, with a new sort of surprise at each track on the record – and just the right sort of balance to appeal to fans of both groovy and more wild sound library material. Titles include "Violenza", "Il Cobra", "Produzione Industriale", "La Caverna", "Citta Del Capo", "Zombie", "From Tokyo To Las Vegas", and "Assenza Di Gravita". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful solo work from pianist Abdullah Ibrahim – a player with a sound so rich and rhythmic, his sessions like this are often every bit as captivating as his trio and group recordings! There's a really special sort of poetry going on here – first in the way that Ibrahim brings out these unusual tones in the piano – a warmth that almost feels like a Fender Rhodes at times, even though the instrument is acoustic – secondly in the structure of the tunes, which are sometimes short and very poetic – packing a lot of meaning into just a very short space in sound! To balance that out, the record has many different selections – twenty in all – some older compositions reworked, some less familiar. Titles include "Sotho Blue", "District 6", "Tokai", "Blues For A Hip King", "In Tempo", "Dreamtime", "Nisa", "Mindiff", "Trieste My Love", and "Signal On The Hill". CD

Beautiful solo work from pianist Abdullah Ibrahim – a player with a sound so rich and rhythmic, his sessions like this are often every bit as captivating as his trio and group recordings! There's a really special sort of poetry going on here – first in the way that Ibrahim brings out these unusual tones in the piano – a warmth that almost feels like a Fender Rhodes at times, even though the instrument is acoustic – secondly in the structure of the tunes, which are sometimes short and very poetic – packing a lot of meaning into just a very short space in sound! To balance that out, the record has many different selections – twenty in all – some older compositions reworked, some less familiar. Titles include "Sotho Blue", "District 6", "Tokai", "Blues For A Hip King", "In Tempo", "Dreamtime", "Nisa", "Mindiff", "Trieste My Love", and "Signal On The Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful solo work from pianist Abdullah Ibrahim – a player with a sound so rich and rhythmic, his sessions like this are often every bit as captivating as his trio and group recordings! There's a really special sort of poetry going on here – first in the way that Ibrahim brings out these unusual tones in the piano – a warmth that almost feels like a Fender Rhodes at times, even though the instrument is acoustic – secondly in the structure of the tunes, which are sometimes short and very poetic – packing a lot of meaning into just a very short space in sound! To balance that out, the record has many different selections – twenty in all – some older compositions reworked, some less familiar. Titles include "Sotho Blue", "District 6", "Tokai", "Blues For A Hip King", "In Tempo", "Dreamtime", "Nisa", "Mindiff", "Trieste My Love", and "Signal On The Hill". CD

A wonderful collection of later work from this legendary Japanese pianist – a set that's named after his famous Watarase album from years back, but which includes some unusual live recordings and material that we haven't seen elsewhere! Some of the tracks here really break the standard piano trio format of some of Fumio Itabashi's other albums, but still glow in that boldly spiritual, soulful style he brought to his work from the 70s onwards – and the set features a duet with alto player Kazutoki Umezo, a quintet title with tenorist Tetsuro Kawashima and trumpeter Shinpei Ruike, a live trio track, and the last a never-heard 1981 solo demo performance of the tune! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful collection of later work from this legendary Japanese pianist – a set that's named after his famous Watarase album from years back, but which includes some unusual live recordings and material that we haven't seen elsewhere! Some of the tracks here really break the standard piano trio format of some of Fumio Itabashi's other albums, but still glow in that boldly spiritual, soulful style he brought to his work from the 70s onwards – and the set features one track that's a duet with drummer Takeo Moriyama, another that's a duet with alto player Kazutoki Umezo, a quintet title with tenorist Tetsuro Kawashima and trumpeter Shinpei Ruike, two solo tracks, and one trio number that features Fumio on melodica – an instrument we're not sure we've ever heard him perform on before! Most tracks are titled "Watarase", in variations of his famous tune – but the performances are very different, and mostly include live material from the 2010s, plus one more track from 2001, and a never-released demo from 1981 too. CD

A great live date – recorded in Tokyo with Jackson on vibes, Teddy Edwards on tenor, Cedar Walton on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Tracks include "Killer Joe", "All Blues", "St. Thomas", "The Prophet Speaks", and "Stolen Moments". CD

A live performance from pianist Keith Jarrett, recorded at Suntory Hall in Tokyo – but one that's a bit different than some of the solo sets that came earlier in his career, as it's got both a different sound and different style overall! The tracks here aren't side-long improvisations, and instead are shorter tunes that offer up a compressed version of the freewheeling Jarrett style on the piano – still with a sense of openness that really sets Keith apart from the rest, but maybe with more pronounced melodies – although many of those are as dark as you might guess from the title! Tracks include "Fire Dance", "Ritual Prayer", "Hymn", "Americana", "Parallels", and "Entrance". CD

One of the crowning moments of Keith Jarrett's longform improvised style of the 70s – a huge batch of concert material recorded in Japan – done in a style that's similar to his famous Koln and Berlin concert records! The album features different performances from Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, and Sapporo – each titled after the city itself, and laid out without much in the way of other ornamentation or explanation – which creates an even greater focus on Jarrett's amazing work on piano, and his nonstop energy to create! CD

Keith Jarrett on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. CD

Keith Jarrett on piano, Gary Peacock on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. CD

A Pablo Records release – but featuring material that was originally destined for Verve Records in the 50s – a rare performance in Japan by the Jazz At The Philharmonic! The double-length set is overflowing with goodness, all recorded in the open-ended, warm-hearted style that Norman Granz brought to these classic performances! The album starts with an extended set by the JATP All-Stars – a group that features Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers on trumpets, Willie Smith and Benny Carter on alto, Bill Harris on trombone, and Ben Webster and Flip Philips on tenors – with rhythm from the combo of Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and JC Heard on drums. JATP titles include a "Ballad Medley", "Tokyo Blues", and "Cotton Tail". The set then features six more tracks by the Oscar Peterson Trio – including "Sushi Blues" and "Up" – and another four by the Gene Krupa Trio – including "Don't Be That Way", and "Cocktails For Two". The set then ends with a long set by Ella Fitzgerald with a quartet – on titles that include "Smooth Sailin", "How High The Moon", "Body & Soul", "Lady Be Good", and "My Funny Valentine" – plus a reading of "Perdido" with the whole JATP group. LP, Vinyl record album

Jazztronik alone are great enough – but this excellent collection really takes them to a whole new level, by letting in collaborative talents on a host of remixes – all of which further expand the groove of Jazztronik's recent Cannibal Rock and En:Code albums! In recent years, Jazztronik have deepened their sound even more than before – working in bright Brazilian and Latin influences to their mix of cosmic and jazzy dancefloor modes, all of which dance together beautifully in this wonderful set of work. The album is way more than just one of those "hey, let's let someone else mess with the originals" sort of projects – as all tunes here really keep the original Jazztronik spirit burning bright, and respect the vibe that first allowed all of this to happen! Titles on this first volume include "Dentro Mi Alma (Yoruba Soul rmx)", "Searching For Love (Rasmus Faber rmx)", "Working Days (DJ Spinna mix)", "Pathways Jazztronik Theme (Sleepwalker rmx)", "Get It Right (Isoul 8 rmx)", "En Code (As One rmx)", "Samurai (Yukihiro Fukutomi rmx)", and "City Of Rivers (Franck Roger rmx)". CD

With Wynton Marsalis on trumpet. CD

An obscure Japanese-only session from Elvin – recorded at Tokyo's Pit Inn in 1985, with a quintet that includes Richard Davis on bass, Fumio Karashima on piano, Pat LaBarbera on tenor and soprano, and Sonny Fortune on tenor and flute. The two-sax frontline is as strong as it is on Jones' best post-Coltrane sides from the 70s – and the long tracks show that he's still got plenty of fire and imagination. Titles include "Zange", "George & Me", and "Shinjitsu". CD

Not the smooth fusion group of the same name, but a tight acoustic quartet with some great tenor from the mighty Clifford Jordan – in a lineup that also includes James Williams on piano, Richard Davis on bass, and Ronnie Burrage on drums! Titles include the Jordan originals "Tokyo Road" and "Japanese Dream" – plus "Hi Fly", "Misako Beautiful Shore", and "For My Nephews". CD

An excellent mid 90s album from Joyce – and one of the first really great records she made in years! The album's got a nice no-nonsense sound that returns Joyce to the sparer settings of her earlier work – and which paves the way for more recent strong efforts, like Hard Bossa or Tudo Bonito. The backing's mostly by a jazz quintet of piano, tenor sax, bass, and drums – and Joyce plays guitar and sings in both English and Portugese. Tracks include "Upa Neguinho", "Cantaloupe Island", "No Tabuleiro da Baiana", "Tenderly", "Speak Low", "Here There & Everywhere", and "Delirios De Orfeu". CD

Really beautiful work from Joyce – a set that's as lovely as its name, and which contains a wonderful array of work from the less-collected years of her career! Most other Joyce collections focus on her older sides for EMI Brasil, but this set seems to offer more recent recordings – all done in a spare, but lively style that mixes acoustic guitar with earthy percussion, occasional jazz solos, and Joyce's always-warm vocals! Notes are all in Japanese, so the origin of the tracks is a bit obscure – but the album's got a magic power that sparkles only in Joyce's best work, and really presents her at the top of her unique style. Titles include "Sao Salvador", "O Chines E A Bicicleta", "Waters Of March", "Tenderly", "Estrada Do Sol", "Menini Das Laranjas", "Samba Da Zona", "Essa Mulher", and "Receita De Samba". CD

The second meeting between Kaze and Ikue Mori – with Mori on electronics, Satoko Fujii on piano, Natsuki Tamura and Christian Pruvost on trumpets, Peter Orins on drums. CD

Satoko Fujii on piano, Natsuki Tamura and Christian Pruvost on trumpet, and Peter Orins returning on drums for their fifth album as Kaze – this time with electronics from Ikue Mori! CD

Kaze is Christian Provost and Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Satoko Fujii on piano, and Peter Orins on drums. CD

Kaze is Christian Provost and Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Satoko Fujii on piano, and Peter Orins on drums. CD

Satoko Fujii on piano, Natsuki Tamura and Christian Pruvost on trumpet, and Peter Orins on drums. CD

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A key example of why the Japanese scene was so great at the start of the 70s – really mindblowing work from keyboardist Masabumi Kikuchi, and every bit as wonderful as some of our favorite American sides from the time! Kikuchi acoustic piano with a warmly soulful sensitivity – alongside the Fender Rhodes of Masahiro Kikuchi, who has a hard-edged sound that almost takes off from Joe Zawinul's use of the instrument, then soars into even mightier territory. The style is somewhat loose at times, but never too free – and the group here is a sextet that also includes amazing alto from Kosuke Mine – an excellent player who's never gotten his due on this side of the Pacific. Titles include "Love Token", "Tenacious Prayer Forever", "Roaming In Darkness", "Young Bloods", and "Piece To Peace". CD

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Warmly jazzy grooves from this late 70s Japanese combo – one who are more like a fusion group than some of the more standard city pop acts – in part because they've got two different guitarists in the lineup, each of whom get a different channel in the mix! Haruto Kawabe is on one channel, and Motoki Ichizaki is in the other – both soloing strongly at points, but stepping aside to allow plenty of room for the lead vocals of Masako Takasaki – who sings throughout the record, in a warm voice that works perfectly with the electric instrumentation! Shinnoichi Shimizu plays keyboards on the set too – and titles include "Jump", "Usou", "AM 4:00", "Goodbye Again", "Crystal Magic", and "One Night Affair". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Ron Burton on piano, Vernon Martin on bass, Harold White on drums, and Joe Habad Texidor on percussion. CD

A really cool album from the Japanese scene of the 80s – one that's much more experimental and creative than some of the city pop material of the time – with a shifting style of music that really keeps things interesting! Ryuichi Sakamoto helped with the first track on the set, which also rounds out the end of side one – and there's definitely elements of the YMO-era electro pop on the record, but mixed with more instrumental material that partly echoes the ambient sounds of the era – but also with more experimental material that's sometimes playful, sometimes a bit dark – almost echoing some of the hipper New York downtown experiments of the Laurie Anderson generation. Koharu Kisaragi handles most of the work herself - through a variety of keyboards, samples, and electronics next to her vocals – but there's also some live percussion, piano, bells, and recorder on the record too. Titles include "Neo Plant" in two versions – plus "Paraffin", "Bon Voyage", and "Traumerei". LP, Vinyl record album

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Lovely lovely work from Irene Kral – a Japanese-only session from the 70s, and one of her best efforts from the time! Irene's vocals have never sounded better – strong and confident, but not in a cloying way that gets in the way of the tunes – working with a piano trio led by Alan Broadbent that's wonderfully adaptive to the mood of the tunes, especially from a rhythmic standpoint – as a number of the tracks turn out to be great groovers in the end! The album's a perfect example of the way that American singers were always able to find a hipper vibe when recording in Japan during the 70s (like Dee Dee Bridgewater or Lorez Alexandria, to name a few others recorded this way!) The set's got a great version of "On A Clear Day", a snapping jazz dance take on "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", plus the cuts "Star Eyes", "Misty Roses", "Angel Eyes", "Corcovado", and "Everytime We Say Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set – featuring work by Charles Ives, Ornette Coleman, Bela Bartok, and Kevin Volans. CD

The first issue of a very cool magazine spun off of the Jazz Kissa photo books from Japan – one that features a look at farther-flung record bars in the Japanese scene – spots that are very far from Tokyo, and presented here with an array of really fantastic photos! This edition is also in English throughout – and features a look at small clubs in the farther region of Tohoku, plus other spots too – all related with stories behind the record bars, and a look at the way they mix rare records with drinks in a very hip atmosphere! Book

It's no secret that Japanese listeners love jazz, and have a real ear for vintage vinyl – and this issue of Gateway looks at the history of the Jazz Kissa – that special sort of Japanese record bar that mixes jazz vinyl, a top-shelf sound system, and an intimate drinking environment – all of which makes for a really great place to enjoy the records! There's also a special look at the legendary Eagle record bar in Tokyo – and as with other issues, the text is in English throughout, alongside some really beautiful full color photos of these completely amazing spots! Book

A beautiful Japanese publication, one that looks at the long legacy of bars and coffee shops that focus on presenting quality jazz vinyl with high end sound systems – really amazing spots that are presented here in a special edition with full text in English! As with other issues of the magazine, this one looks at some key spots in Tokyo and beyond – focusing on the history and identity of each, and really getting at the way the owners use their passion for jazz to create a unique space to listen, relax, chat, and enjoy the evening. We're huge fans of these record bars – and after flipping through this issue, you may well be calling your travel agent to go over and make the visit yourself! Book

A fantastic window into the record bar scene in Japan – served up here in a beautiful publication that's filled with photos of all these cool little clubs that are stuffed full of records – dedicated to presenting quality jazz music on vinyl, over a top-notch sound system – all while also serving up great drinks and light food in an intimate setting! These aren't the kinds of clubs where DJs go nuts for dancers – and instead, the experience is very intimate, very relaxing, and very Japanese – a way of digging jazz in a public space that's beyond compare, and which is very unique to their scene. The rooms are often little temples to vinyl and jazz – filled with thousands of records in a beautiful space, as you'll see as you flip through the many full color images in the book. This first volume documents bars in and around Tokyo – special spots with names that include Mingus, Half Note, Candy, Jazz Time Disk, Brooklyn, and dozens of others – served up in a beautiful softcover edition, 140 pages, full color throughout – and stuffed with fantastic photos! Book

A great session that was recorded in Tokyo in 1973 – featuring Abbey backed by a small group that includes Dave Liebman on sax and flute, Al Foster on drums, and Hiromasa Suzuki on piano. The record's pretty darn hip – and it's a nice version of Abbey's haunting approach to vocal jazz, touched by some of the new directions vocalists were going at the time, yet firmly rooted in the firm command of voice and emotion heard on Lincoln's best records from the early 60s. Titles include "Africa", "You & Me & Love", "Naturally", "Living Room", and "Natas", which seems to have Abbey singing along with overdubs of her own voice, to very cool effect! CD

Conducted by Shinichi Hasegawa. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Big Heart", "Hair Street", "Fat House", "The Punch & Judy Tango", "Map Of Bubbles", and "They Were Insane". LP, Vinyl record album

Pianist Harold Mabern works here with a trio of players who really helped him find new focus and energy in later years – the great Eric Alexander on tenor, with John Webber on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums – a rock-solid lineup who really take off here in a live date from New York's Smoke nightclub! Tracks are all long, and have that solid, soaring sense of groove that always marked Mabern in his early years – but which was lost a bit in the 80s and 90s, until he teamed up with Alexander – and found the kind of inspiration that's returned him to greatness for most of the last 20 years! The songs are straightforward, but filled with searing solos – and with Webber and Farnsworth on hand, things keep swinging in all the right ways. Alexander himself seems to have unlocked a whole new corner of his talents in recent years – very much on display here – and titles include "A Few Miles From Memphis", "Nightlife In Tokyo", "She's Out Of My Life", "Mr PC", "On A Clear Day", "Rakin & Scrapin", "T Bone Steak", and "I Know That You Know". CD

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Composed by Radu Malfatti with Taku Unami on electronics. CD

A Japanese live date from pianist Junior Mance – and a record that's an overlooked gem in his catalog from the 80s! The set was recorded in a small club in Tokyo, and there's this great groove to the whole thing – almost more back in the soul jazz roots in which Mance was launched in the 60s, but with longer cuts that show some of the increasing sophistication in his style, but all without ever losing the groove! A good part of that is the rhythm team here – superb work from bassist Martin Rivera, next to the drums of Rudy Lawless – on titles that include "Something", "Smokey Blues", "Small Fry", "Emily", "No Greater Love", and "Summertime". CD

Great live work by Albert Mangelsdorff – recorded during the height of his creative years at MPS, at a time when he was easily one of the most creative trombonists in the world! Mangelsdorff has risen to new heights by the time of this record – pushing the instrument to a level that only a few might hope to match – maybe just Roswell Rudd or Grachan Moncur – although we'd argue that Albert has an even wider range of expression, especially over the course of different records. This set shows his fiercest, most unbridled side – a great live date recorded in Tokyo, with a group that includes Heinz Sauer on tenor, Gunter Lenz on bass, and Ralf Hubner on drums. The interplay between Sauer and Mangelsdorff is excellent, never too free, and with that bit of swing that Mangelsdorff always put into his work, no matter how modern the idiom. Tracks include "Sing & Swing", "Open Space", "Triple Trip", and "Mahusale" – and they all run for a fairly long time. CD

Marc Mac knocks it out of the park once again – serving up just four songs, but with a sense of soaring power that beats most other full length records in this territory! The album's the last in Mac's series of global efforts, and although Japan is the focus this time around, it's mostly in the titles of the tunes – as the record continues that really strong evolution past 4Hero roots that have made Marc's recent releases so wonderful, and which have us hoping that he'll soon be giving us lots more full length records too! Titles include "Tokyo Nightlife", "Kambei", "Electric City Don't Sleep", and "Yasuke Soul". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A rare Japanese-only album from American reedman Steve Marcus – best known for his fuzzy freaky sets on the Vortex label – but heard here in the company of Tokyo reedman Jiro Inagaki – who also made some pretty freaky albums of his own! The tracks here are nice and long – longer than usual from Jiro – with extended snakey saxophone solo from both players, and some sweet electric touches from the Social Media group – who are more laidback here than on some of their more funk-based outings. The change is a nice one, and makes for a real standout from both players – the kind of overlooked early 70s moment that makes digging for Japanese records so great! Titles include "Something", "Fairly Rings", and "Serenity". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty strong 80s fusion – Cesar's on lots of electric keyboards, and the album features guest appearances from Ivan Lins and Sadao Watanabe. There's some nice moments buried in the mix, but the production is a bit slick, toning down the emotion and funk of Mariano's earlier records. Songs include "Amor Em Paz", "Send One Your Love", and "Tokyo". CD