It’s like all legends: In the end, only half of them are true. If at all. This also applies to »Cat« by Hiroshi Suzuki. The album by the Japanese trombonist from 1976 enjoys an almost cult-like status among collectors of jazz rarities. Because it had already been such a great success upon release. Which is half not true. Because even in Japan, it was only a reissue a few years ago that brought it to greater attention. Which again is because of the great quality of this album. And this is the half of the legend that is definitely true. Hiroshi Suzuki made the record in 1975 at Nippon Columbia Studio, was himself just visiting the old home country, having previously left for the United States. Within two days, together with his old companions, an album with five tracks was created, which are completely in the spirit of jazz fusion and funk, but infused with a characteristic relaxedness. In »Kuro to Shiro,« the trombone grooves its way over the rhythm while the piano tries to hold the whole joint together. The solos of Hiroshi Suzuki but also of Takeru Muraoka on saxophone are a dream over the entire record, because always unobtrusive, but wondrously gentle and dreamy. The five and a half minutes of the title track alone flow so calmly that they already justify any creation of legends for this record. The reissue of the label We Release Jazz went for the limited record now to the original master volumes of the album, because a point of criticism was always the poor sound of the earlier pressings. Which is very good for this record. Whether the big success will come now? Probably not. A legend remains a legend. But with »Cat« it just sounds damn good.
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