Various Artists - J​-​Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969​-​1984

Bandcamp Daily

“J-Jazz” highlights independent releases never before issued outside Japan, mostly by artists who haven’t seen much international attention.

The Guardian 80

(BBE)

Sheer chaos. That’s what the British modern jazz scene felt like in the 1970s, and having lived with this album for the past few days, I have proof that we were not alone. But what felt like chaos was actually a worldwide burst of creativity among young musicians who had realised that they could do their own thing in jazz without waiting for the Americans to show them how. They took off in all directions. Some of the ideas were brilliant and some were frankly bonkers, but it was exciting.

These nine examples, taken from rare albums only ever released in Japan, exude the authentic excitement of those days. Most impressive of all is the rhythmic energy on show. Relaxed swing doesn’t come into it; the drummers are relentless. They’re supported by some immaculate bass playing too, and you can hear it properly, thanks to Japanese technology. The wilder soloists do tend to go on a bit in the longer numbers but the performances never sag, because of those amazing drummers. It’s music of its time, of course, but better late than never.