Name: WaJazz: Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol. I - Deep, Heavy and Beautiful Jazz from Japan 1968-1984 - The Nippon Columbia masters - Selected by Yusuke Ogawa (Universounds)
Brand: Various

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

180GHMVLP01

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

[r22724765]

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

180g Vinyl In Gatefold Sleeve

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Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2022-04-08

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Kudos

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

5050580773059

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Total Cap

2 / Extended format: No / LP / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No / black

Artist

Various

Genre GB

Jazz

Label GB

180g

The 180g label is known for its high-quality vinyl records. They use the proprietary GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system to ensure exceptional sound quality. Each record is pressed on 180 gram virgin vinyl, making them durable and long-lasting. Limited editions are available, adding a sense of exclusivity to their collection. Many of these records are cut from DSD copies of the original analogue masters, preserving the authenticity and richness of the music.

From blazing hard bop to free jazz, to introspective saxophone solos and massive big band sounds, renowned Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa presents an essential 14 track collection of WaJazz music taken from the Nippon Columbia vaults. Featuring Jiro Inagaki, Minoru Muraoka, Hiroshi Suzuki, Hozan Yamamoto, Count Buffalo, Takeshi Inomata, and much more!

Japanese jazz has been recognized and celebrated by music lovers worldwide for decades. The origins of this trend may be traced back to the rare groove movement that flourished in the 1990s, but its current deep and wide popularity seems to be connected to the fact that Japanese people have been reevaluating their own jazz since the mid-2000s, locally referred to as WaJazz ("Wa" meaning Japan but also theShōwa emperor period, from 1926 to 1989). Since the beginning of the 2000s, there has been a growing trend to move away from the DJ-focused perspective and to appreciate jazz with a deeper understanding. Nowadays, there is more and more interest in the background and roots in which jazz has developed in Japan, with Japanese jazz as a whole now considered as its own distinctive genre.

Of course, even if we speak about "WaJazz as one genre, there is a truly wide variety of styles within it. However, when Japanese musicians play, there is something uniquely Japanese flowing through that creates a kind of synergy. It may be the melody, the rhythm, or even something deeper, like an inexpressible flicker. I would be happy if some of its charms and secrets emerge from the fourteen tracks included in this collection.

Yusuke Ogawa has been running the Universounds store in Tokyo since 2001, specializing in jazz and second-hand, rare, and collector records. He is also a reissue supervisor, label manager, DJ, and music writer. Known for his vast musical knowledge, eye for detail, and archival skills, Ogawa has worked on more than 250 reissues and compilations – including the highly praised Deep Jazz Reality and Project Re:Vinyl series. He is the co-author of the Wa-Jazz Disc Guide and the Independent Black Jazz of America books.

WaJazz: Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol. I - Deep, Heavy and Beautiful Jazz from Japan 1968-1984 - The Nippon Columbia masters - Selected by Yusuke Ogawa (Universounds)

Music GB