Wajazz──Music with a Global Standard from Japan

Three Compilation Albums Featuring Curated Jazz Numbers

This year, King Records, celebrating its 80th anniversary, collaborated with the "trustworthy" music magazine "wax poetics JAPAN." With Mitsuru Ogawa, a former charismatic record buyer now active as a music writer and DJ, serving as curator, three compilation albums were released on March 2nd. These albums feature carefully selected tracks from an extensive archive of music from the 1960s to the 1980s, divided into three themes: (1) Modern Jazz from the 60s-70s "Deux Step," (2) Jazz Rock and Jazz Funk from the 70s "Soul Bamboo," and (3) Jazz Fusion from the late 70s to the 80s "Mixed Roots."



These albums, featuring the creative legacies of world-renowned musicians such as Hideo Shiraki, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Isao Suzuki, and Fumio Itabashi, offer content enjoyable for everyone, from dedicated jazz fans to younger listeners discovering Japanese jazz for the first time.

REVIEW｜TOPICS
Wax Poetics Japan Compiled Series King of JP Jazz
"Deux Step" "Soul Bamboo" "Mixed Roots"
Price | ¥2,200 each
http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/waxpoeticsjapan_cs/index.html

US3 Japan Event to be Held

US3, the British unit that ignited the acid jazz movement in the early 1990s, became widely known after their bold sampling of Herbie Hancock's classic "Cantaloupe Island" from Blue Note became a global hit. I believe this is my first reunion in nearly 20 years, since they performed as live guests when I was hosting a late-night music program at a certain TV station. I look forward to playing together in Nihonbashi, a sophisticated district.