Japanese Jazz?

[Ossi]

I am quite new to Jazz and as I am now living in Japan for a while, I would like to get introduced to good Japanese Jazz. So I would be pleased, if you could give me some hints of especially good records.

I like records like Coltrane´s Love Supreme and Giant Steps, Hancock´s Maiden Voyage and Miles Davis´s Kind of Blue. Also Nu-Jazz goes well. This is just to give you some perspective to what I like and what kind of music I probably would like to hear.

[bubber]

Don't know to much about it, but there's a new girl named Hiromi that has released a CD on Telarc recently. She's quite good, with lots of techique and I think you might like her music based on the preferences you give. If you go to the reviews section at AAJ and enter Hiromi, you'll find further details.

[Tenorman]

While trawling through the early "Artists" forum here, I came on an Advert for a site for female Japanese Vocalists.

Don't know whether that is what you are looking for but here is the site

http://www.hifigallery.com/

also check out this thread on AAJ Board

http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1115

[shawn·m]

Is Sadao Watanabe still active? He was capable of some nice hard bop-like stuff, and I think he kind of went over to the smooth jazz camp sometime ago. Forgive me, but is “nu-jazz” the same or similar to smooth jazz?

[Darth Improviser]

Ossi, the albums that you say you enjoy, if plotted on a scale, represent a wide range of styles. Can we assume that everything between these points would be of interest as well?

If you don't want to spend a lot of money up front to find out who you don't like, here are a few suggestions to help you get a sampling of some Japanese jazz.

Visit Amazon Japan and browse the J-Jazz section for albums with sound clips. You'll have to be able to read some basic Japanese to manage this. (For anyone else who's interested, here's the url: http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/569176/ref=br_bx_1_c_2_2/249-9138772-2243535)

Visit your local library, the central branch if possible. Many lend cds.

Visit your local video rental shop. They also rent cds. Usually the jazz sections are quite miniscule but if you live in a big city there are probably at least 2 or 3 such shops within walking distance of your home, several more within 1 or 2 train stops, and together you might find a couple of dozen interesting things worth checking out.

Visit Tower, HMV, and Virgin and take advantage of the listening stations to sample new releases.

Visit your neighborhood jazz bar/coffeeshop. Nearly every neighborhood in the big cities has one, owned by a fellow in his 50s, 60s, or 70s, who has a large to outright massive collection of lps/cds right there in the bar. These guys can be a great source for learning about Japanese jazz.

Finally, if you're in Tokyo or Osaka, visit the jazz clubs.

Hope this helps, Ossi.

Enjoy the ride.

[soshigaya]

As stated above, if you are in Tokyo, visit Tsutaya in either Shinjuku or Shibuya, where a good selection of rental cds are available. On a more specific note, I'd suggest cds by Japanese artists-
JazzWorkshop Presents ' Pandora' 3 cd set on Somethin' Else.
Junko Onishi-Village Vanguard 1 &2, Cruisin' and The Sextet
Yoshiaki Okayasu -The Newest Boss Guitar ( a real unknown gem of Blue Note sounding hard bop )
If your Japanese language skills are up to par and especially if you live in Setagaya Ku, then head for your nearest lending library and hit the computer. You will find an astonishing selection of gems, sufficient to build a core collection. Good luck and mail me if you need any help.

[Nate Dorward]

I've only scattered knowledge of Japanese players, but two who I collect avidly are the pianists Yosuke Yamashita & Masabumi Kikuchi. They both are "inside/outside" pianists who don't really sound like anyone else. I should warn you that Kikuchi has a vocalizing tic that's a rival of Keith Jarrett's, but I find it kind of charming (especially when he accompanies a vocalist: cf. his work on Helen Merrill's You & the Night & the Music). Kikuchi's "Tethered Moon" trio with Peacock & Motian is very interesting--rather abstract versions of tunes by Weill &c. -- Yamashita is completely different--a rather spiky player who reminds me a bit of Don Pullen. I like his discs with Joe Lovano & his solo disc Canvas in Quiet very much.

Aki Takase is also remarkable--she's more of an avantgarde player than either of those two, but she also does albums of Monk & Dolphy tunes.

One other recent discovery has been Hiroaki Katayama's Quatre on StudioWee. Completely off-the-wall versions of tunes like Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" & "Under Paris Skies", with an intensity that's the rival of Peter Brotzmann or Albert Ayler, but also quite funny & sweet too. It's an amazing album.

[syoshii]

If you like "mainstream Jazz," I would recommend the following;

Junko Onishi "Live at the Village Vanguard" (Blue Note)
Sadao Watanabe "I'm Old Fashioned" (w/ Hank Jones, Ron Carter, Tony Williams) (East Wind)

If you prefer "outside" music, listen to the following;

Yosuke Yamashita Trio "Clay" (Enja; maybe out of print now)
Yosuke Yamashita Trio "Chiasma" (MPS)
Yosuke Yamashita Trio "Up-To-Date" (Crown; maybe out of print now)
Takeo Moriyama "Mori" and "Yama" (feat. George Garzone) (Tokuma Japan)

If you are looking for "future-Jazz" or something like that, check 'em out.
All CDs of Date Course Pentagon Royal Garden
All CDs of Tokyo Zawinul Bach

[clave]

Toshiko Akiyoshi, who lives in the US, but whose CDs are available in Japan --not here.

[jav]

I don't know if you are looking for Japanese jazz artists or jazz music influenced by Japanese culture. Anthony Brown and his Asian American Orchestra out of the bay area fits both descriptions. His group did a very interesting recording a few years back based on the experiences of Japanese Americans being imprisoned during the second World War. Jon Jang plays on that one, and also has a number of solo releases that incorporates music from his Asian ancestory. On a more fusion/smooth jazz front, the group Hiroshima did some interesting work early in their career that featured the koto extensively. Being in the United States, I am limited in my exposure to mostly Japanese American artists and their work. Hiromi, mentioned earlier on here, is an interesting young pianist who is very talented and seems to be all over the place stylistically. She is highly endorsed by Ahmad Jamal, which was enough for me to give her a listen.

[jazzcritic]

If you like Japanese artists who are frequently a bit "out there,"
check out Aki Takase, who has recorded for Enja and FMP.

Toshiko Akiyoshi is hard to beat!

Junko Onishi seemed promising, but her last Blue Note CD was a dud, in my view.

[syoshii]

If you want Jazz music blended with Japanese tradition, check out Yosuke Yamashita New York Trio...their repertoire includes some Japanese old children's songs. They sometimes even play with Japanese traditional musicians. Yamashita also often plays with Eitetsu Hayashi, world-famous Taiko soloist.

Akira Sakata's "Fisherman's Dot-Com" also could be your choice. Sakata used Japanese old folk ballads as materials to make his own unique music with his alto sax and vocal, accompanied by Pete Cosey and Bill Laswell.

Maybe you will like Osami Mizuno's "TENMA" too...it's Jazz music blended with Japanese/ Chinese traditional music, Ambient, Rock and Classical music, with the help of Liu Hongjun (Oscar co-winner by the music of Last Emperor) and Morgan Fisher.

[Phil Kelly]

Seattle jazz trumpet/ saxophone player Jay Thomas has become a regular on the Japanese Jazz circuit ( visiting there at least once a year )

I suggest you visit his website and pose these questions ..I'm sure Jay will have some information for you.

http://www.jaythomasjazz.com/main.html

[tpt1]

I have heard three excellent jazz trumpet players from Japan: Terumasa Hino, Tiger Okoshi and Shunzo Ono. Great players!

[BigDirtyFoot]

Check out Eijiro Nakagawa, on the trombone. He recently played at ITF 2005 (International Trombone Festival) in New Orleans. I heard him, and loved every minute of it. He also records "eNj" (inspired by J&K duet) with Jim Pugh, who currently resides in NY.

[Beboptrumpeter]

If you want to hear American jazz artists, you're pretty lucky. A lot of them go to Japan. Check out their schedules on the net and see for yourself. You have a bigger chance of seeing Keith Jarrett than I do..... >.>