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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Recommendations for Wa-Jazz: Masterpieces of Japanese Jazz – One Must-Listen Pick (31–40)
A gentle nightorange pekoe
It was released in 2002 as Orepéko’s second single.
It seems it was also used in a commercial jingle.
It’s a pleasant track to listen to while relaxing in your room at night.
It appears they moved their base of activities to New York in 2016, so it’s a shame we can’t easily catch their live performances in Japan, but let’s look forward to their return to the Japanese scene!
Doraemon SongOzone Makoto
When Makoto Ozone, one of Japan’s leading jazz pianists, plays it, even Doraemon’s theme turns into something this pop and jazzy—what an exquisite arrangement! Despite being at the forefront of the scene—recently delving into classical music and leading the big band “No Name Horses”—I’m struck by how strong Ozone’s curiosity and drive to explore music remain.
Tell Me A Bedtime StoryKasai Kimiko
Kimiko Kasai, a legendary singer on Japan’s jazz scene in the 1970s and a city pop artist who has drawn intense attention from music fans worldwide since the ’80s, hails from Kyoto.
Alongside her musical career, she also worked as a jewelry designer, and in 1998—marking her 30th anniversary—she cleanly withdrew from the music industry.
That decisiveness, too, might be part of what makes her legendary.
Her 1979 album Butterfly, released as a co-billed project with jazz giant Herbie Hancock, wove together cutting-edge sounds—fusion, disco, and city pop sensibilities reflective of the era.
It’s said that its value wasn’t fully recognized at the time of release.
If anything, its reputation has only grown with time; it has been reissued multiple times and is now beloved not only in Japan but by music fans overseas as well.
Kasai’s vocals, putting her own spin on Hancock’s classics, radiate a truly magical allure, and her cover of Stevie Wonder’s As is a standout, too.
A must-hear not only for jazz aficionados but also for younger listeners curious about city pop!
If I can see you in my dreamstanaka rika
Yume de Aetara, covered by Rika Tanaka, a skilled vocalist based in the Kansai region.
I’m delighted whenever it comes on TV as the theme song for the Sekisui House Real Estate commercial.
Tanaka has released two J-pop cover albums, and this track is included on the second one.
Enshū Tsubame-gaeshiWatanabe Kazumi
Here is “Enshū Tsubame Gaeshi” from guitarist Kazumi Watanabe’s album Mobo, a jazz-fusion classic.
This piece is one of Watanabe’s signature tunes and a staple of his live performances.
The album is a masterpiece created together with American drummer Omar Hakim—known for his high-pitched snare—and American bassist Marcus Miller, a leading figure in the jazz fusion scene, among others.
Recommendations for Wa-Jazz: Masterpieces of Japanese Jazz – One Must-Listen Pick (41–50)
Beyond the farewellGira Jiruka
Gina Jirka, who is also active in commercials, has recently released a CD of classic Showa-era songs as part of her “Girayama Jiruko” project (with an all-star backing band).
Yuki Arimasa’s solo piano in this video is wonderful as well.
Spritual NatureTogashi Masahiko
Exactly as the title suggests, this is a masterpiece that offers a spiritual musical experience vivid enough to conjure scenes of ancient Japan.
Leading the Togashi Masahiko Quartet—often cited as Japan’s first free jazz group—and pursuing fiercely original work that deeply influenced later artists, the genius drummer and percussionist Masahiko Togashi released his leader album Spiritual Nature in 1975.
Recorded live on April 9, 1975 at the Tokyo Kosei Nenkin Kaikan Small Hall and edited for release, this large-scale suite won widespread critical acclaim, including the Gold Prize in Swing Journal’s Jazz Disc Awards that year, the Japan Jazz Award, and the Best Recording Award.
Top-tier players of the era such as Sadao Watanabe and Masahiko Satoh are assembled here, and the overwhelmingly free, cutting-edge performances by a ten-piece ensemble are, of course, not casual listening given the nature of free jazz.
While challenging, I personally feel they possess an appeal that stands apart from any lofty, self-important artistic pose.
Brimming with a sound world that fuses the soul-liberating spirit of age-old Japanese festivals with a solemn, thrilling atmosphere, this is an experience I highly recommend to listeners already somewhat accustomed to the sound of free jazz.