About

Re-release of the debut album by drummer and actor Mitsuaki Katayama from 1979. A Japanese jazz masterpiece.

Johnny’s disk record is an independent jazz label run by the owner of jazz cafe kaiunbashi no johnny located in rikuzentakata city in iwate prefecture, japan.

The legendary label released a string of albums of high quality but down-to-earth music, spanning from modern jazz, avant-garde jazz to left-field pop. albums such as “farewell my johnny / left alone” and “aya’s samba” has reached cult status among fans as some of the best works to come out of the japanese jazz scene.

This debut album by drummer and actor mitsuaki katayama is a japanese jazz masterpiece, put out by johnny’s disk record—an independent jazz label run by the owner of jazz cafe kaiunbashi no johnny located in rikuzentakata city.

Consisting of 5 original compositions, the no-filler album includes the tracks “unknown point,” a danceable jazz samba with tight and powerful drumming; the melancholic “arizona high way,” a tune that perfectly epitomizes what japanese jazz is about; “it’s over,” which features beautiful piano work by kichiro sugino—a promising pianist who tragically succumbed to a chronic illness and couldn’t fully realize his potential; “louis” and First Flight, a jazzy dance cut with a funky bassline. — (via Label)

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It's well known that Japan had a vibrant jazz and experimental scene from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, parts of which have survived to this day. Not only did the Taj Mahal Travellers, with their improvised proto-drone, develop into stylistic pioneers over the decades, gaining recognition far beyond their own borders, but the fusion of Teruo Nakamura and Eiji Nakayama's melodically sophisticated smooth jazz are also rich in clearly articulated ideas that continue to inspire Western musicians. Johnny's Disk Record released a whole series of these grounded records at the time, which, despite or perhaps because of their sublime sound, have aged exceptionally well.

Mitsuaki Katayama's sole album was among them and is now being reissued by Studio Mule. First Flight is the work of a clever arranger, but also of a gifted drummer – this is immediately apparent in the opening track, "Unknown Point," a witty jazz-samba with countdown-like rhythmic peaks and pointed interludes. But even on the slightly melancholic "Arizona High Way" or the stylishly syncopated pub atmosphere of "Louis," the trio of bass, drums, and piano effortlessly masters every variation, every timing bottleneck. The best is saved for last: The roughly ten-minute title track, besides the intro, is the only one Katayama wrote himself, which is once again reflected in a dominant presence of snares, hi-hats, cymbals, and drums. His furious drumming sets the pace, which the bass and piano try to match, but also repeatedly impose natural limits. The result is a thrilling dynamic that a trio could hardly execute better. — (via HHV Mag)

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Label: Studio Mule // Johnny's Disk Record
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered
Reissued: 2018 / Originally Released: 1979
Genre: Jazz

File under: Japanese Jazz
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