J Jazz Vol. 2: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1969 – 1983 – Various Artists (Vinyl 3LP)

Following the sell-out success of their landmark compilation, J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969-1984, BBE Music presents another exploration into the very finest Japanese modern jazz. J Jazz 2 builds on the solid foundation of the first compilation and sees co-compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden once again pick choice sections from their own record collections.

They present a deep dive into an intoxicating and beguiling range of styles: from cinematic roaring big-band (“Little Giant” by Nobuo Hara) and sparse minimal acoustic funk (“Teru-Teru Bozo” by Teru Sakamoto), to deep spiritual modal epics (“Dragon Dance” by Makoto Terashita and Harold Land) and funk fusion (“Mother of the Future” by Electro Keyboard Orchestra). J Jazz 2 delivers more astonishing high quality jazz that will appeal the old school hard-core jazz head as much as those digging the current sounds of the current vibrant jazz explosion in the UK and USA.

The specially chosen tracks on J Jazz volume two span across 25 years of Japanese musical progression and invention. From the elegiac stark beauty of “Serenade to a Dimly Lit Street” and the modal vortex of “Daguri,” to the fierce post-bop freedom of “Bull Trout” and the mid-tempo bossa lilt of “Vietnam,” there is enough here to satisfy the most curious and demanding jazz fan seeking something extra special.