Has there ever been a soundtrack so thrilling and beautiful? This is the pinnacle of cine-jazz, crafted by the master Norio Maeda. Released in 1971, Shadow Of The Highway is a suspense-action film produced and starring Jiro Tamiya, and directed by Jun Fukuda. True to its tagline—“A sports car tearing vertically through Japan, from Kagoshima to Hokkaido”—the film features a Mitsubishi Galant GTO racing across the country. Often compared to the American New Cinema classic Vanishing Point, it stands as a Japanese road movie gem. The music was composed by the legendary Norio Maeda. His piano corners with elegance, the vibraphone dashes forward with flair, the bass charges ahead with power, and the drums shift gears with precision. Motion and stillness, obsession and desire, joy and sorrow—thrilling performances and beautiful melodies elevate the film to new heights.

As a soundtrack, it is exceptional. But even more, it represents an extraordinary level of quality for Japanese jazz in 1971. The performances are so remarkable that it’s unfortunate the exact personnel remain unidentified. However, it has long been rumored that the musicians may have been associated with Takeshi Inomata’s Sound Limited—or possibly The Third.