J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan Vol. 5
Tracklist
There has been no shortage of excavations from Japanese jazz in recent years, a steady stream of reissues and compilations that have turned what was once a niche collecting pursuit into something closer to a minor industry. Which raises the question of what a fifth volume can add.
Quite a bit - as it turns out - by digging further into the margins as they delve into the oddities. Toshiyuki Honda's 'Eastern Legacy' runs on clipped horn bursts and a rhythm section that sounds almost over-disciplined, holding everything in place. Yasuhiro Kohno's 'My Favorite Things' pulls the standard apart, spacing the melody into hesitant, slightly awkward piano phrases. Then Motohiko Hino's 'Olive's Step' barrels in, drums pushed forward, bass circling the same figure with stubborn intent.
It's a lot, certainly, but it rarely feels excessive.