VA - East Wind: Revolutionary Japanese Jazz in the 70s (2024)

A treasure trove of Japanese jazz from the 70s - all originally issued by the groundbreaking East Wind label - not the first Japanese company to focus on jazz, but one who definitely helped move the scene a few steps forward with killer recordings like these! East Wind came in at a time when Japanese avant and fusion work was really picking up steam - and, combined with attention to earlier hardbop modes, the label was able to craft a fantastic catalog that allowed older and newer modes to resonate together strongly - usually with all-Japanese groups in the lineup, but sometimes also opening the door to American jazz musicians too - some of whom made some of their best records of the decade for East Wind! This well-done set focuses only on the Japanese artists recorded by the label and features a special selection of tunes handled by Yusuke Ogawa, who did all the work for the Deep Jazz Reality series over the past 20 years or so.