YUSUKE OGAWA レコード& CD

Review: Japanese jazzmasuta Jiro Inagaki is graced by a stunning new tribute album via 180g, Legends, which celebrates his 90th birthday in 16-track compilation form. Made up entirely of works made between 1968 and 1980, and selected by DJ and producer Yusuke Ogawa, this is an album made almost entirely of Jiro's best-known instrumentals, not least a formerly unreleased version of the standout 'Express'. The recordings are impeccable, and this is a standard which does not waver over the entire 12-year period this LP spans.

Review: After an acclaimed first volume, Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa continues to explore the phenomenon of Wajazz by diving into the archives of King Records. Spanning the years between 1962 and 1985, he brings to light some truly astounding music from artists like Isao Suzuki, Toshiaki Yokota, Akira Miyazawa, Takeru Muraoka, Yasuaki Shimizu, Masahiko Togashi and George Otsuka. There's a consistent thread of spiritual jazz around these varied performances, which Ogawa has pointedly selected for qualities which mark them out as unmistakably Japanese. It's another strong testament to the vibrant jazz culture from Japan, selected by a true expert driven by infinite passion for the music.

Review: Another comprehensive collection of jazz here from the good people at Light in The Attic. This 14 track compilation has been carefully selected and compiled by Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa, who is the owner of Tokyo's Universounds record store. It comes on heavyweight vinyl with vast track-by-track liner notes by Ogawa and take sin everything from hard bop to free jazz with plenty of big and explosive moments as well as more deep and introspective sections of calm, all of which has been plucked from the vaults of Nippon Columbia. There is a reason Japanese jazz is so revered, and this record shows why.