A really cool issue of this always-great magazine – one that offers up a special look at European jazz singers from the postwar years onwards – with key recordings for dozens of artists, laid out in Japanese discography style! That means that the core text is Japanese, but you'll find album covers and other details in English to really point you in the right direction – to help you discover rare work by singers who include familiar names like Georgie Fame, Sathima Bea Benjamin, Norma Winstone, and others – mixed with dozens of others who are equally great, but much more obscure! There's other features in the mix too – and the book-style issue is 216 pages, with black and white images, and some in color. Book

An issue that definitely delivers on its promise of great hard bop records – as it offers up a visual discography of classic albums in the format – plenty of Blue Note gems, plus some overlooked records too – all with images of the covers in black and white, details in English, and reviews in Japanese! The issue has a short but beautiful color section at the start – then runs through its long hardbop feature, along with additional articles on key players in Japanese – plus other jazz columns and reviews, again in Japanese – but illustrated with black and white images throughout. 240 pages, squarebound, with black and white and color images. Book

There's a big discography of postwar jazz from the west coast scene inside – including classic records like the Gerry Mulligan 10" LP pictured on the cover, and lots more unusual and obscure albums too! The issue serves things up in Japanese "disc guide" format – with a small image of the record covers, then other details in English, and more in Japanese – with listings of key records, prefaced by a cool color section too. The rest of the issue follows with more jazz features too – all with black and white images and photos next to text in Japanese – with a total of 216 pages, in a book-styled cover. Book

This special issue of Jazz Critique looks at two key tenor players of the postwar years – Blue Note legend Hank Mobley, and the great Dexter Gordon, who moved from early fame on the LA scene to a key career stretch overseas! The issue offers up discographies of both players – with dozens of important sessions, both as leaders and sidemen – complete with images of the covers and details of the records in English – and lots more text in Japanese, which you can likely read using Google translate. There's lots more images throughout the issue – a color section at the start, and lots more enticing ones throughout the well-stuffed 208 pages within! Book

That's the great bassist Charles Mingus on the cover – and this issue of Jazz Critique acts as a mini-discography of some of his greatest recording sessions – with listings of dozens of key albums, including sideman sessions, rare live material, and other gems that work together to showcase some of the most acclaimed moments of Mingus on records! As with other issues, the text is mostly in Japanese – but the discography has images of record covers and other details in English – and the issue then moves into a range of other jazz-based features too, in a 200 page, book-styled issue with black and white images throughout. Book

The cover image features a classic quartet date from trumpeter Blue Mitchell – and the issue looks at important records in a similar format – all of which feature either a saxophonist, trumpeter, or trombonist with a rhythm trio for backing! The issue follows the Jazz Critique mode and has a discography of nearly 100 albums – with album cover art and other text in English, and longer reviews on Japanese – all as part of this issue that has other Japanese articles on jazz topics both past and present, all graced with very nice black and white photos! 200 pages, book-style format, and a great layout and design. Book

This issue looks at jazz singers from the postwar years onwards – starting with the generation of Jennie Smith, who's pictured on the cover – and running up through key hip vocalists well into the 21st Century! The issue follows previous ones in that it has a discography of the artists within – with a few key albums of dozens of singers, presented with a black and white image of the album cover, and other details in English – a huge rundown of vocalists, with a lot of albums to discover! And as always, there's other features too – a cool color section at the start, jazz reviews and other news, in a total of 216 pages with black and white images throughout. Book

A very unusual issue of this long-running jazz magazine – one that offers up a special selection of 100 key albums that boast a two-horn quintet – that is, a five piece group with a trumpet and a sax player in the lineup! As with other issues, this one begins with a full color section that features full color thumbnails of all the albums featured, then moves into a black and white section that offers up more details – including players, labels, dates, titles, and other information in English – plus a short review in Japanese, which you can read using Google translate on your phone. The artists range nicely – albums run from 50s classics on Blue Note through 70s Japanese masterpieces, to some more contemporary albums – and there's also other features and reviews too – in a book-style package, 200 pages, with black and white images throughout. Book

This issue's got a special feature on unusual and noteworthy jazz record covers – served up by a host of different critics, who each pick three different records that are represented by small black and white images, along with label, artist, and title in English – and a longer essay in Japanese! As with other issues, there's a mix of visual information that will help you out if you're not a reader of Japanese – and these days, you can often use a translation program through your phone's camera to read bits that catch your eye. There's a small beautiful section of color images at the start – including covers for the Days of Delight label series – and the magazine also features listings for new albums too, all from a Japanese perspective. 184 pages, and bound like a paperback book. Book

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This issue's got a discography of a style that's very near and dear to our hearts – Christmas-based jazz records from a variety of scenes, in a variety of modes – including many albums we never knew about before! The issue has a discography of over 140 titles – each with a small image in black and white, more text in English, and a short review in Japanese – and there's even a smaller section on soulful Christmas records too! Other articles follow, all in Japanese – but there's images throughout the big book-style publication – squarebound, and 232 pages in all. Book

There's vibes galore in this special issue of Jazz Critique – with a discography of well over 100 key albums with vibes, both classic and contemporary, obscure and familiar! As with other disc guides from Japan, the issue has a small image of the record cover with some details in English – and a short review in Japanese – and the issue also begins with a very cool color section that offers up lots of great record covers! There's more going on inside too – a wider range of jazz features and reviews – and always with every issue, the style is more book-like than magazine – with black and white images throughout, and over 200 pages in all. Book

That's the lovely Astrud Gilberto on the cover, and this issue of Japanese magazine Jazz Critique offers up a discography that includes some of her classic albums, and a host of other bossa gems too! The issue starts with a great color section that has images of rare album covers – then moves into a disc guide-styled listing that has many more covers in black and white, with some details on the records in English – and short reviews in Japanese. The scope of bossa-related records is great, and covers a lot of scenes and years – and the issue also has other jazz features in more detail, with black and white images throughout the 240 page issue. If you can read Japanese, there's also a nice feature on jazz in the Civil Rights era – with some nice photos! Book

A special issue that looks at the rise of cool jazz on the US scene in the postwar years – complete with a visual discography and timeline as well! The first half of the issue features dozens of important records in this mode, mostly from the 50s – with images of the cover, details in English, and more review text in Japanese – laying out both classic albums and some other records that have been crucially overlooked! The rest of the issue follows with more jazz-based articles and features – text in Japanese, but plenty of images in black and white – more than enough to entice you to dive into the world of jazz from a Japanese perspective. Book

A great rundown of key live jazz albums of the past decade or more – including some that feature unreleased tracks from the 60s and 70s – all brought together as a mini-discography embedded in this special issue of Jazz Critique! The book features listings for almost 100 live albums, all with cover images, and other details in English – plus a short review in Japanese text – and the issue has other articles too, including reviews, record columns, and other jazz news too. As always with Jazz Critique, the publication style is great – a book-like cover, with color images at the start, and black and white images throughout. Book

This Japanese jazz magazine takes a look at its own scene this time around – with articles on Japanese jazz, and plenty of classic records featured in a disc guide of key listening within! The format is similar to other issues – with images of the records the magazine recommends – but since the artists here are all Japanese, you'll need to use a translate program to read some of the text in Japanese – which will further illuminate the material! As you might tell from the cover, the subjects run from early bop through 70s piano and modal, and also includes some of the great albums on the Three Blind Mice label. There's a full color section at the start of the issue, which is almost 200 pages, with more black and white images throughout to illustrate other Japanese articles. Book

French jazz giant Barney Wilen is on the cover – and this issue of Jazz Critique looks at key records on the European scene from the postwar years onward! Given that "swing" is the mode here, there's not really any avant records – and instead the issue offers up a discography of players like Wilen, Lars Gullin, Dick Morrisey, Jimmy Deuchar, and others from the modern/hardbop moment of the 50s and 60s – plus some more contemporary artists too. Each record is presented with cover art and some details in English – plus a shorter review in Japanese – and the issue has a color section at the start, and other jazz features with images throughout the 192 pages within. Book

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A really great look at the later years of Louis Armstrong's life – that time when he'd moved from being an underground jazz musician to a surprising star of both radio and screen – using his undeniable charisma in ways that really cemented his legend! And sure, there's some folks out there who might deem these Armstrong's "pop" years as a bit of a critique – but the author really gets at the subtle power of Louis during these years, and the way this period of his life was actually something of an artistic triumph, rather than a sellout – maybe no surprise, given that some of the music from these years has been Armstrong's most enduring. Softcover edition is 369 pages, with some black and white images. Book

Excellent work by The Kinks – cut right on the cusp of their earlier bluesier years, and their perfect picture postcard pop sides of the late 60s! The album's got a number of groovy little tunes that virtually put the jangle in 60s pop – with impeccable writing by Ray Davies, and all those little twists and turns that make his songs so great. And the themes, styles, and overall presentation of the whole thing are really stretching out nicely – with a sense of wit and critique on British society that really have the group coming into their own! Titles include "Party Line", "Dandy", "Session Man", "Rainy Day In June", "Most Exclusive Residence For Sale", "Fancy", "You're Lookin Fine", and "Sunny Afternoon". CD also features bonus tracks – "Mr Pleasant", "This Is Where I Belong", "Mr Reporter", "I'm Not Like Everybody Else", and "Big Black Smoke". CD

A fantastic showcase for the early genius of John Hartford – one of the most unique singers to record for RCA in the late 60s! Hartford has roots in folk, an appeal that reaches the hipper side of the Nashville scene, but also is very much his own man – kind of a wittier version of some of the social commentators of a few years before, with as much of a post-modern critique of his own music as of society in the 60s. In some ways, this self-aware approach makes Hartford almost a country version of Harry Nilsson – although less tragic, too – and this album features the core sound of the previous records augmented by these beautiful larger arrangements by Al Capps – which only further the hip vibe of tunes that include "Mr Jackson's Got Nothing To Do", "The Collector", "I've Heard That Tearstained Monologue You Do There By The Door Before You Go", "Orphan Of World War Two", "I Didn't Know The World Would Last This Long", and "The Wart". LP, Vinyl record album

The album that really has Ice T and Afrika Islam moving forward in a wonderful way – stepping things up from the already-great previous record, and pushing Ice well into the kind of superstar role that he'd follow up in coming years in so many ways! At the time, Ice T was part of the rising voice of the west coast – but also had more wit and focus than so many of his contemporaries – able to turn his rage and street experience into sly critiques that get past just swagger – and really thinking of things in the space of a full length album. Titles include "I'm Your Pusher", "Heartbeat", "High Rollers", "Girls LGBNAF", "Grand Larceny", "The Syndicate", "Radio Suckers", "Soul On Ice", and the iconic Glen Friedman cover! LP, Vinyl record album

The album that really has Ice T and Afrika Islam moving forward in a wonderful way – stepping things up from the already-great previous record, and pushing Ice well into the kind of superstar role that he'd follow up in coming years in so many ways! At the time, Ice T was part of the rising voice of the west coast – but also had more wit and focus than so many of his contemporaries – able to turn his rage and street experience into sly critiques that get past just swagger – and really thinking of things in the space of a full length album. Titles include "I'm Your Pusher", "Heartbeat", "High Rollers", "Girls LGBNAF", "Grand Larceny", "The Syndicate", "Radio Suckers", "Soul On Ice", and the iconic Glen Friedman cover! LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Sparks And Dreams", "Critiques", "You Used To Be So Pure", "Can't You Take It Standing Up?", and "Blind Men Go Flying". LP, Vinyl record album