Recommendation of Wa-Jazz: A Masterpiece of Japanese Jazz—One Must-Listen Album
If you’re not particularly interested in jazz as a genre, you might just think of it as music from abroad.
In fact, here in Japan, we’ve produced many world-class players, and countless remarkable classic albums have been released.
This time, we’re presenting a selection of essential “Wa-Jazz” masterpieces by Japanese musicians.
While focusing on timeless classics from the ’60s and ’70s, the lineup also turns its attention to works released in the ’90s and 2000s.
Please enjoy jazz music with a distinctly Japanese flavor—something a little different from overseas jazz!
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Recommendation of Wa-Jazz: Masterpieces of Japanese Jazz – One Must-Listen Pick (81–90)
caravanOnishi Junko
This is “Caravan” from Self Portrait: The Best of Junko Onishi, the first best-of album by jazz pianist Junko Onishi from Joyo, Kyoto Prefecture.
It’s a masterpiece that lets you enjoy Onishi’s piano in all its facets—from crisp, exhilarating performances to moodier, more languid ones.
First LoveTerai Naoko
“First Love” performed by Naoko Terai, Japan’s leading jazz violinist.
The lustrous tone of her violin is truly enchanting.
And would you believe it—blessed with such beauty, Terai celebrated the 30th anniversary of her debut in 2018!
Trinkets & ThingsKawasaki Ryo
Also featured in classic jazz-funk compilations, this track shines with an exceptional sense of balance—an acid jazz fusion that never goes overboard.
Its sophisticated guitar work and satisfying percussion made it a favorite among many DJs as a seamless bridge to Latin jazz.
Sao PauloHonda Toshiyuki
This is a signature piece by saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda.
Coming from a jazz family—his father is a jazz critic—you can sense his solid, well-grounded musicianship.
In this work, while the influence of fusion is evident, you can still savor the unmistakable strength of jazz.
Softly As In A Morning SunriseHonda Takehiro
Even just declaring “This is me” in the album title is the height of cool and confidence, but paired with the monochrome cover featuring the profile of a bearded man with an afro, it’s a record you’ll want to buy for the jacket alone.
Let me introduce This Is Honda, released in 1972 under the name Takehiro Honda (credited here as Takehiro Honda/Takehiro Honnda), a jazz pianist also known as a founding member of the legendary fusion group Native Son.
It’s a piano trio album with Yoshio Suzuki, one of Japan’s premier jazz bassists, and Fumio Watanabe, drummer and younger brother of Sadao Watanabe.
The album is regarded as one of Honda’s signature works, having won the Best Recording Award in Swing Journal’s Jazz Disc Awards.
All six tracks are covers of standards—precisely the kind of material that reveals a performer’s individuality—and from that angle alone you can fully appreciate their superb playability and taste.
Honda’s piano overflows with a distinctive blues feeling: it’s steeped in soulful “blackness,” yet clearly stamped with a uniquely Japanese sensibility.
His occasional audible grunts add vivid immediacy, too.
The rhythm section’s work is flawless, of course.
This is a fiercely cool alternative to a tidy little piano trio—an album you’ll want to soak up with your whole body.
