Jazz from Japan, part 4
Three more album picks featuring some of my personal favorites
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted some Japanese jazz picks, but I’m excited to share my fourth installment today, featuring three more important albums in the J-Jazz catalog. These three in particular are very high on my list of favorites, though unfortunately I’ve been unable to track down a vinyl copy of ‘Morning Flight’ just yet.
All three of these picks are from the Three Blind Mice label, which many refer to as the ‘Blue Note Records of Japan.’ For me, TBM, Trio, and a handful of other labels are usually fairly safe blind buys. As always, if you ever see any of these for sale in the wild — buy them!
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto Trio - Midnight Sugar (1974)
As one of the very first Japanese jazz albums I was exposed to, Midnight Sugar holds a special place in my heart. The first release from the Tsuyoshi Yamamoto trio, a trio that would go on to record many more releases on TBM and beyond.
This record represents one of the most ‘iconic’ and well-known releases from the label, and for good reason. Opening with Yamamoto’s own composition and the title track, the rest of the album consists of wonderful covers of timeless standards. Like most of the TBM catalog, the recording, mastering, and pressing quality is top notch — the quality of the recording of the piano is exceptional.
If you love jazz artists like Bill Evans, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto should absolutely be on your radar. Beyond his own albums and with his trio, he often accompanied a whole host of other J-Jazz giants on a variety of other albums. Once you get used to his playing style, it’s quite easy to hear him all over the place.
Rather than post just one track from the album, below is the entire album!
Sunao Wada Quartet - Blues-Blues-Blues (1977)
The next album on my list this issue is the fabulous ‘Blues-Blues-Blues’ from the Sunao Wada Quartet, featuring Isao Suzuki on bass and Masaru Imada on piano. Completely self-taught, Sunao Wada began playing guitar at the age of 11, with goals to be one of the best guitarists in Japan.
The short-lived Sunao Wada quartet released a total of three albums, with this being the final one — and what a wonderful way to close out the collaboration with this heavily blues-tinged 1977 release. The album’s closer ‘A Good Deal of the Blues’ is my favorite track on the album, which the video below should start on. The video is of the entire album, however, so give it a listen if you like blues/jazz guitar!
Hiroshi Fukumura Quintet - Self-Titled / Morning Flight (1973)
On this 1973 album, Fukumura teams up with Shigeharu Mukai for a dual-trombone modal jazz journey. Trombone is a relatively uncommon pick in jazz (especially compared to trumpet, alto/tenor sax), but here we get two!
While this album of the three featured today is probably the most ‘challenging’ of the set, it’s well worth spending time with and has quickly become one of my favorites from the label. It is nearly impossible to find on vinyl in excellent condition and when it pops up, expect to spend comfortably over $200.00, so this hi-res upload to youtube is a nice substitute for the time being!
Other things I am loving
We The Animals - Justin Torres: I finally got around to reading this and really enjoyed the writing style. It’s very short — arguably too short — but each vignette feels like it is bursting with life.
Red Land Cotton percale sheets: I picked up a sheet set from this company some months back and they are probably the finest percale sheets I’ve ever used. Typically I only use linen sheets (I am a very hot sleeper), but nice percale is also effective. These are thick but low thread count so they breath very nicely. Love!
Guidestar Nonprofit search: at this moment in time, it is more important than ever to support the efforts of local nonprofit organizations that are doing good work in your local communities. This search allows you to find organizations near you, as well as take a glance at their financials and general information about their mission and impact to make informed decisions on where to donate your money and/or time.
Ina Garten’s Apple and Pear crisp recipe: for almost twenty years my family made this dessert during the holidays, altering it slightly into individual ramekin servings. It is incredible at any time of year, however, especially with a nice scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.