FFO: Jazz nuggets unearthed!

What they say: 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. - The Guardian review of Vol. 1

What we say: Back in print! The J-Jazz Masterclass Series curated by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden for the BBE label digs deep into the abundance of previously inaccessible jazz issuing from Japan during the post-war decades. Of some of the players, the series has issued obscure and exceedingly rare LPs by Takeo Moriyama, Isao Suzuki, Kohsuke Mine, and Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, which they have compiled as ideal roadmaps to the era in the "J-Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz from Japan" compilations. - Jefferson