Although the Japanese jazz scene is constantly being re-evaluated, it remains something of an unknown territory, a place to tread carefully rather than rush in. This extra caution has its advantages, however, such as the constant rediscovery of even the smaller releases. The fact that »Rock Communication Yagibushi« wasn’t a huge production is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that most of the musicians can only be heard on this now highly sought-after gem. Fortunately, the French label WeWantSounds has once again dug deep into the minefield of Japanese reissues, as the originals were simply too expensive.
This gives us a glimpse of this curiosity, which happily combines a tight, polished jazz sound with Japanese folk music. The Yagibushi, which graces both the title and the first track, is a folk dance from the main island of Honshu that is only found in a few regions. Here it’s transformed into a first-rate funk big band track. In general, it’s all about virtuosity—Japan cliché mode: on—and when the electric guitar takes centre stage for 16 bars on »Sado Okesa« by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, you know why you should keep digging in Japan!
