A great Japanese take on the sound of Thelonious Monk at the end of the 50s – one that's led by pianist Masao Yagi, and which features some of the same dynamic horn interplay as Monk's best work on Riverside! Yagi's got a really great group here – with Sadao Watanabe on alto sax and Akira Nakano on trumpet – both stepping out in sharp-edged, angular lines at the front of the tunes – then soaring out in beautifully expressive solos on their own. Yagi's piano is strong too – surprisingly sensitive at times – and the record does a great job of nodding towards the original without clearly aping it too much. Titles include "Off Minor", "Evidence", "Monk's Mood", "Straight No Chaser", and "Blue Monk". CD

All-star jazz from the Japanese scene of the early 60s – 2 albums' worth of material from some of the greatest players in Japan at the time! The first album in the set is done in a style that almost recalls the Jazz At The Philharmonic mode on Verve – with 2 very long tunes ("Moanin" and "Walkin), each done in side-long takes with plenty of room for solo contributions from players that include Sadao Watanabe, Norio Maeda, Takeashi Inomata, Keitaro Miho, Akira Nakano, and Shungo Sawada – all trading lines with a really spontaneous sense of energy! The second album is tighter and a bit more controlled – with live performances by combos led by Shungo Sawada, Masao Yagi, Norio Maeda, and others – all jamming in hardbop formation on numbers that include "What's Now", "Del Sasser", "Like Someone In Love", "Easy Talking", "Four On Six", and "Alone Together". Together, the records are a great document of the growing energy of the Japanese scene at the time – and beautifully portray the talents of these players in a live setting! CD