On May 12th, 2023, Cinedelic will reissue Masahiko Togashi’s »Story Of Wind Behind Left«. Exclusively on HHV Records, there will be a clear vinyl edition of the classic. The album was released in 1975 in a line with »Song for Myself« (featuring duets with Sadao Watanabe, Yutaka Sato, Masabumi Kikuchi and others) and the live album »Spiritual Nature«. While these two releases belong to the canon of Masahiko Togashi’s greatest works, »Story Of Wind Behind Left« is often ignored. Without reason.
In this work, Masahiko Togashi has tried to capture nature musically. More precisely, the wind as it blows through the trees, as it moves the water, as it murmurs and silences. »The wind is the theme of my album,« Togashi is quoted in the liner notes, translated from Japanese for the first time, which accompany the new edition. »I address that wind that, with its numerous shades, comes out of nowhere, whispers something in our ears, and then disappears magically«.
Conclusion and rebirth
The album was recorded between September 2nd and 5th 1975 at Columbia Studios with saxophonist Motoderu Takagi, double bassist Yoshio Ikeda, cellist Keiki Midorikawa and percussionist Saburo Toyozumi. Besides nature, his encounter with Don Cherry and Steve Lacy in 1974 is considered an important musical influence on the music that can be heard here. These two musicians taught him to free himself from the conventions of jazz and to give free rein to creativity. Thus the music here is first and foremost an exploration of sound.
After a knife attack in 1970, Masahiko Togashi sat in a wheelchair and played on a special drum kit made especially for him. »Story Of Wind Behind Left« is therefore not only considered Togashi’s farewell to jazz, but also a kind of rebirth.
