The Sabukaru Guide to 1970’s Japanese Jazz
Japan experienced an art and entertainment renaissance in the 1960s and 1970s sparked by rapid economic redevelopment. During this time Japanese musicians began appearing on the global stage at an unprecedented rate, experimenting with musical influences from around the world and giving life and visibility to new scenes domestically such as city pop, kankyō ongaku, Japanoise, folk, and psychedelic rock.
Around the same time, jazz music in the West was being influenced by the growing relevance of the funk genre which popularized strong back beat grooves and a more electrified sound with the introduction of early analog synthesizers. Soul, R&B, disco, and progressive rock followed as common points of inspiration in the jazz community.
With all these inspirations and influences, jazz became an even more of an abstract concept than it already was. No longer could jazz be described as one style or genre. Rather, it was method open to interpretation from the artist. Musicians such as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock were redefining jazz music, toeing the line in their highly conceptual and innovative projects like Bitches Brew and Head Hunters.
This innovative mindset carried over into the Japanese scene as well. The unique creative landscape in the jazz community, along with Japanese music as a whole becoming simultaneously more experimental and mainstream, led to an abundance of excellent Japanese jazz music in the 1970s.
As time has gone on, the impact of this era of jazz in Japan remains palpable and strong in the domestic music scene as a whole. As is the case in the U.S., many younger Japanese musicians cite the jazz innovators from this era as influences they first heard as a child. Today, some of the most acclaimed and influential Japanese creatives ever were jazz musicians from this era.
The 1970s was a major turning point around the world in mainstream music. A transitional period from traditional big band and pop standard to funk and hip hop. Jazz during this era was caught right in the middle. Heavily inspired by the music that had come before it and greatly influencing the genres that came after.
In this list we will be looking at 10 of our favorite Japanese jazz records from this distinctive era. We’ll focus on the projects’ particular Western inspirations and their common features such as instrumentation and dynamics. The albums in this list are in no particular order and all stand out as influential and superb pieces of art that shaped music culture in Japan for the following years.
Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media - Funky Stuff [1975]
A quintessential epitome of 1970s Japanese Jazz. In Funky Stuff, Inagaki and his band Inagaki sample American acts such as Kool and the Gang and utilize heavily funk inspired fusion sounds, not unlike American jazz composer contemporaries such as Herbie Hancock or Roy Ayers Ubiquity.
One of the most charming aspects of this record is the range of soundscapes and moods Jiro Inagaki displays throughout the course of the project.
The solo bass guitar and background vocals on “Funky Motion” create a stripped down interlude acting as a valley between more energetic tracks, while the subtle organ in “One For Jiro” evokes the vibe of spirited 1960s blues artists such as Otis Redding. The most notable piece, “Breeze”, is acclaimed for Inagaki’s beautiful saxophone performance and strong synergy with his band.
Ryo Fukui - Scenery [1976]
Considered by many the to be the greatest Japanese jazz record of all time, Scenery is a traditional but engaging take on Japanese jazz. This record takes notes from classic American jazz pianists such as Dave Brubeck with with dexterous piano performances by Fukui accompanied by classic jazz percussion and strings.
The title track and closer, “Scenery”, elicits a relaxed, cool atmosphere. Other moments, such as the latter half of “Early Summer”, display the raw skill of Fukui and his band with energetic fast paced drum rhythms and playful piano arpeggios.
With the jazz genre at the time in Japan and around the world taking a more experimental approach, “Scenery” feels almost nostalgic. A callback to earlier classics like Dave Brubeck’s “Time Out” or John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”.
Also see: Mellow Dream [1977]
Introducing Jun Fukamachi - Jun Fukamachi [1975]
As an artist with such a vast discography that pushed the boundaries so far beyond conventional jazz, it is difficult to choose just one project of Fukamachi’s to recommend, but 1975’s Introducing Jun Fukamachi is essential to the development and evolution of his sound.
Fukamachi’s electrified progressive rock inspired approach on this project feels reminiscent of Western collectives like Spyro Gyra, who would go on to later commodify a progressive rock inspired jazz fusion sound in the 1980s. Impressively, though, Fukamachi predates them.
With later projects spanning through the 1980s and 1990s such as “Quark” and “Midnight Dive” becoming even more cutting edge and pushing the boundaries of jazz further, Jun Fukamachi is undeniably a musical visionary.
Hiromasa Suzuki - High-Flying [1976]
High-Flying is an another electrified jazz fusion project bringing elements of prog rock and funk into the genre by utilizing sharp synth stabs and electric guitar not unlike contemporaries such as Jun Fukamachi.
Heavy inspirations from American soul and funk groups like Rose Royce are obvious on tracks such as “Scramble” with electric guitars and keys creating a big, high energy sound. Other tracks like “Screwdriver” and “Between O & M” perfectly merge classic acoustic jazz with cutting edge Japanese jazz fusion. Suzuki and his band wind down at tail end of the project [“Smash”, “Straight Flash”, “Out of Focus”] with smooth, low key percussion and light, airy synths.
Also see: Silk Road [1973]
Fumio Nanri - Farewell [1975]
Nicknamed by Armstrong himself the “Satchmo of Japan”, Fumio Nanri is a jazz trumpet legend and one of the first Japanese jazz musicians to gain international recognitional in the 1950s. Known for his dixieland jazz style and skilled trumpet playing polished by his association with American jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong and Bobby Hackett, Fumio Nanri stood out in Asia to say the least.
Farewell came just one year before Nanri’s passing and was his final project. The album features some of Nanri’s best work with cool, classic New Orleans style jazz. Though much of the project features Nanri’s trumpet playing at the forefront, Nanri gives room for his band to shine with excellent piano and guitar solos as well.
Also see: St. Louis Blues [1970]
Toshiko Akiyoshi – Notorious Tourist From The East [1979]
Pianist and composer Toshiko Akiyoshi is an international jazz legend with 14 Grammy nominations and unanimous global respect from the jazz community as a Japanese woman in a genre that has historically been dominated by American men.
By the late 1970s, Akiyoshi was incorporating traditional Japanese musical arrangement and instrumentation inspired by African American jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Herbie Hancock who had been experimenting with traditional African sounds in the same way.
Notorious Tourist From The East features Japanese drums woven with brilliant trumpet, sax, and bass. Akiyoshi’s outstanding piano performance on the latter half of the title track is nothing short of extraordinary.
Ryo Kawasaki - Juice [1976]
Juice is another great example of the classic 1970’s Japanese jazz fusion sound; heavy James Brown influences with electrified funky instrumentation and fast paced downbeat percussion.
The large, instrumentally diverse band on tracks like “East Side Boogie” make the album feel like a Funkadelic project at times. Other tracks such as “El Toro” feature energetic synths and Kawasaki’s electric guitar, evoking the feeling of a collaborative effort from Bootsy Collins or Isaac Hayes with classic jazz guitarists like Wes Montgomery.
Also see: Prizm [1976]
Hiroshi Suzuki - Cat [1975]
Cat is an outstanding, fresh take on traditional jazz. Subtle influences from Japanese contemporaries are obvious at times, such as “Kuro To Shiro” with its poppy downbeat percussion and “Walk Tall” with its tasteful call and response saxophone.
For the most part, however, Suzuki and his band maintain a very classic sound, with long run times, smooth percussion, and beautiful trombone solos from Suzuki on both the title track and closer, “Romance”.
Eiji Kitamura - April Date [1979]
April Date features some of the all time best clarinet jazz music to come out of Japan. Kitamura was heavily inspired by legendary clarinetists like Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw with a full jazz ensemble of piano, drums and strings to perfectly compliment his elegant clarinet playing.
Notably, Kitamura was featured on the previously mentioned Fumio Nanri record Farewell.
Also see: Sophisticated Lady [1978]
Toshiyuki Miyama & The New Herd – Nio & Pigeon [1972]
Nio & Pigeon is a peculiar, challenging experience taking elements from various influences such as cinematic orchestral works, traditional Japanese theatre, and American big band.
Tracks such as “When a Swan Goes to Sleep” draws from early film noir cinema with dynamically muted piano and enchantingly elongated trombone. The title track sees Miyami and his band call back to early century New Orleans jazz with dissonant sax with supporting winds and big percussion from jazz legend Akira Ishikawa.
This experimental record follows very few of the trends previously mentioned in this list, with Miyami and his band instead electing for a very unique conceptual sound that playfully deviates throughout the course of the album.
Also see: Sunday Thing [1976]
Honorable Mentions
Like jazz of every era and region, 1970s Japanese jazz is a product of its cultural environment and social milieu, clearly defined by its elements and easily recognizable by its inspirations.
1970s Japanese jazz helped put eyes on Japan for many music critics in next decades, when Japanese pop and hip hop became a global phenomenon. For this reason 1970s Japanese jazz will always remain a relevant piece of Japanese music history.
Text by: Kade Nations
