SOUL MEDIA レコード& CD

Review: Fresh reissued magic of Funky Stuff, formerly a rare exquisite by jazzmaster Jiro Inagaki, originally released in 1975. An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - with influences from Herbie Hancock, James Brown and Santana - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax. Now on a unique clear pink vinyl, it too could be yours.

Review: Memory Lane was the last album recorded by Jiro Inagaki's Soul Media band back in 1980. It's a bubbly slice of disco-fied jazz funk with big, catchy vocal tracks like 'Take My Hand' and some exquisite instrumental wig outs to boot. If you enjoy your jazz funk with splashes of early 80s studio shimmer then look no further than the fluid finesse of 'Double Images'. The album has never been repressed since its original release, so now is the time with Nippon Columbia doing the honours and gifting us a pristine new edition of this period classic.

Review: A long-time-coming reissue of a lesser known live funk album, showcasing the deft J-funk stylings of the genre's foremost legend Jiro Inagaki on the A - as well as lesser-spotted curios from fellow artists Taeko Morino, Eddy Clan and Akira Ishikawa on the B. Packed with futuristic synths and boasting a rather dry, untainted sound, we're most impressed by Morino's slow Anglophone ballad, which we'd describe as most haunting and mesmerising.