WaJazz : Japanese Jazz Spectacle Volume II - Deep, Heavy and Beautiful Jazz From Japan 1962-1985 - The King Records Masters - Selected By Yusuke Ogawa (Universounds)

Description

After the highly acclaimed first volume of the series, Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa continues the exploration of WaJazz with a new selection of tracks that contain a certain Japanese uniqueness, this time focusing on the King Records catalog. With timeless music from Isao Suzuki, Toshiaki Yokota, Akira Miyazawa, Takeru Muraoka, Yasuaki Shimizu, Masahiko Togashi, George Otsuka, and many others!
"I am very pleased to present to you the second volume of the 'Japanese Jazz Spectacle' series. After the first compilation that focused on recordings from the Nippon Columbia catalog, this time we are digging into the archives of King Records. It is almost impossible to capture the full picture of Wa-Jazz in just a few compilation albums, as it is such a vast and deep genre, but by extracting tracks from the collections of Nippon Columbia and King Records - the two labels with extensive archives of jazz music - we may be able to glimpse some of its allure and essence. Once again, I have made the musical selection with this idea in mind. The music in this compilation was recorded between 1962 and 1985 and constitutes a brief history of Japanese jazz on King Records. To listen is to believe, so I hope these tracks will captivate your heart and that you will enjoy the charms of Japanese jazz." - Yusuke Ogawa
Yusuke Ogawa has been running the Universounds store in Tokyo since 2001, specializing in jazz and rare, used, and collectible records. He is also a reissue supervisor, label director, DJ, and music writer. Known for his extensive musical knowledge, attention to detail, and archiving skills, Ogawa has worked on over 250 reissues and compilations, including the highly regarded Deep Jazz Reality and Project Re:Vinyl series. He is the co-author of the Wa-Jazz Disc Guide and the books Independent Black Jazz of America.