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Notes: BBE Music is thrilled to present J Jazz: Free and Modern Jazz From Japan 1954-1988, a remarkable large-format book covering some of the deepest, rarest, and most innovative jazz music released anywhere in the post-war era. Compiled by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden, co-curators of BBE Music’s acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series, the book also features a foreword by Japanese jazz icon, Terumasa Hino.

This is the first time a book of this type has been has been published outside of Japan and the first anywhere of this size and scale. It is a unique collection of over 500 albums of free and modern jazz recorded and released in Japan during a period of radical transformation and constant reinvention. An era that saw Japan return from the ravages of World War Two to become a global economic power and emerge as both a technological leader and an international cultural force.

Through a unique gallery of albums, J Jazz charts the development of jazz in Japan from the first stirrings of the modern jazz scene in the mid to late 1950s and on through the hard bop and modal jazz of the 1960s. It steers the reader into the radical directions of the 1970s when free jazz, fusion, post-bop, and jazz-funk opened up a growing number of Japanese jazz artists to a new global audience before consolidating in the mid to late 1980s with a musical scene that laid the path for the contemporary jazz generation to follow.

Over 500 full-colour sleeves from many of the leading names in Japanese jazz sit alongside rare and private pressings that tell a story of constant change and musical exploration. J Jazz includes profiles of several leading record labels such as East Wind, Frasco, King Records, and Nippon Columbia as well as critical independents such as Three Blind Mice, ALM, and Aketa’s Disk. J Jazz includes interviews with celebrated jazz photographer Tadayuki Naito, and pianist Tohru Aizawa, bandleader on the totemic spiritual jazz album, Tachibana Vol 1, as well as free-jazz record collector and jazz musician Mats Gustafsson.

The book also features a chapter on albums by non-Japanese artists that only received a Japanese release, with collectible, rare, and obscure releases by figures such as Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, and Art Blakey. J Jazz includes Japanese jazz charts from some of the world’s leading jazz DJs including Gilles Peterson, Toshio Matsuura, Paul Murphy, and Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino. Among the specialist content is a feature on obi strips by record dealer and Japanese jazz expert, Yusuke Ogawa, plus a special article on Japanese Blue Note albums.

Across its 300-plus pages, J Jazz includes a detailed introduction contextualising the music, tracing the story of Japan’s fascination with jazz back before the war. It also features biographical information on many of the key artists involved in shaping the post- war Japanese jazz scene including Sadao Watanabe, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masahiko Togashi, Terumasa Hino, Yosuke Yamashita, Fumio Itabashi, Masayuki Takayanagi, Takeo Moriyama, Isao Suzuki, and many more.

Review: Two years ago, Volcov set our pulses racing with From The Archive, a superb selection of killer cuts from the depth of his notoriously impressive record collection. Volume 2 is equally as inspired, though the focus is a little different. Whereas Volcov previously chose to concentrate on soul, funk and disco, this edition is far more widescreen in scope. So, we get soaring soul-jazz bliss (Collective Peace's "Let The Music Play"), head-nodding hip-hop soul (Eric Lau remixing Ruth Koleva), futurist jazz-funk (Ron Trent's wild but brilliant "Ori Space"), soul-fired broken beat (Volcov's own re-edit of Xantone Blacq's vintage remix of Intuit's "Planet Birth"), impeccable soundscape jazz ("Lawra" by Tony Williams) and much more besides.

Review: Massive reissue incoming! BBE have answered many of our prayers with this long awaited repress of Roy's 1983 disco funk excursion "Silver Vibrations". A record that's currently fetching triple figures, this is the first time it's been repressed since it was released. Opening with the iconic whispered message of "Chicago", Roy takes us on a trip through his funkiest of quarters; the salubrious slap bass of "Lots Of Love", the Afrobeat staccato vocals and glock rocking vibrancy of "Silver Vibrations" and the dreamy cosmic jazz trip of "DC City" are just some of the highlights, all shared across the 12"s with no more than two tracks per side. Vibes that can't be slept on.

Review: Some four months after he lost his battle with cancer, BBE is releasing Paul 'Trouble' Anderson's final production - a fittingly joyous, upbeat and life-affirming cover of gospel standard "Happy Day" featuring the impassioned vocals of soul singer John Redmond. On the A-side of this 12" edition you'll find the "Classic Main Mix", a bouncy and rubbery fusion of soaring gospel vocals, bumping house beats, mazy organ solos, rubbery disco bass and clipped guitar riffs. It's superb all told, and a fitting final hurrah from one of the UK's most significant DJs of the past 40 years. Over on the flip you'll find the slightly more stripped-back "Classic Dub", where impassioned vocal snippets ride Anderson's killer groove, bouncy pianos and spacey synths.

Review: In truth, not all DJs are genuine "tastemakers", but Lefto most certainly is. Like the similarly minded - if far older and more experienced - Gilles Peterson, Lefto gets as much pleasure from introducing people to new and obscure music, as he does from rocking clubs. It's for that reason The Beauty Is Inside, a terrific, lightly blended mix of eclectic, far-sighted sounds hand-picked by the Belgian, is such essential listening. It naturally contains some slept-on tackle from the past - see the cuts by Ethiopian singer Alemayeu Eshete and South African artist Patience Africa - but even more killer contemporary fare, with highlights including the contributions of Qur'an Shaheed, Elisa Bee, fellow Belgians abrahamblue and contemporary jazz hero Makaya McCraven.

Review: This is the second part of Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981and is again packed with tracks that are far more than unreleased findings from the cutting room floor. Each one serves as another feather in the bow of the virtuoso Ayers, who combined jazz, funk, soul and disco in magical and unique ways throughout his career. In doing so he laid down a precursor to acid jazz and hip hop. These are tracks that show off his dynamic, liquid rhythm sections and mellifluous keys, as well as the vocal talents of a range of collaborators who touch on soaring and sensuous highs as well as more gravel and earthy lows. Essential.

Review: BBE unearth another batch of rare and underexposed disco cuts on Off Track Vol 3. Compiled by the crate digging New York/Boston based duo Kon & Amir, the release gives an authentic representation of Brooklyn’s ghetto, funk and afro music scenes. Sophisticated tracks for real music heads

Review: Mike Peden is the man responsible for having unearthed this one for BBE. Per Husby Septett's 'The Peacemaker' was recorded in 1976 and is a wonderfully deep yet somehow under-the-radar small big band set that features the very best Norwegian jazz artists of the time, all led by pianist and band leader Per Husby. 500 copies were only pressed list time round and it packs a big, dynamic punch with original compositions by Per Husby and covers such as Harold Land's title cut 'The Peacemaker', and other jams mixing up post bop, modal, bossa and ballads by artists such as Charlie Parker.

Review: This new Brian Jackson package 'Miami Wata' brings together traditional African sounds and modern Latin house music in a captivating fashion. Jackson's rendition of a traditional African song draws on the sacred lands of the Dogan in Mali and the rich rhythms of Ghana, paying tribute to all the different African cultures that have made for such a diverse tapestry of world music. The original comes with serval remixes, dubs and cosmic reworks from the one and only Body & Soul man Joe Claussell who takes it into all new but equally spiritual realms. It makes for an epic double 12" from BBE.

Review: Rahaan is a Chicago legend and master of the most soulful sounds in the studio. His new EP for BBE, 'We Are The Ones,' sees him joining up with a whole host of top musicians such as Marcus J. Austin and Nancy Clayton on vocals, Carnell C. Newbill on keys, Todd Swope on guitar and Lou Terry on bass. Between them they bring real dance floor adventures that are steeped in proper musicality. Ohio Players' Kenny Anderson on the horns brings some real soul to these four-to-the-floor cuts which mix up disco and house in the finest of fashion.

Review: The Jazz Room is a hotly curated selectors' V/A compiled by jazz expert and BBE label owner Paul Murphy. Following the success of the original comp first released in 2019, this one comes up after a full four years' worth of curating and mulling, and aims to represent the full range of both classic and contemporary jazz sounds, from New Orleans to Latin jazz, in quick succession. Consisting of contemporary jazz versions of the likes of Fela Kuti, Raul Monsalve and, for some reason, The Human League, said contributions by the likes of Cruisic and Clare Fischer aim to trace the - yes, the - comprehensive throughline of jazz from past to present, all while refusing to abstain from BBE's trademark eclecticism. Highlights include 'Rebel No. 23' and Fast 3's Hammond-organ-injected 'Don't You Want Me'. Most importantly, no track goes without a driving, bright-bursting mood of energy.

Review: Strata Records is one of the most important notches in Detroit's jazz heritage. From Lyman Woodard Organization's Saturday Night Special to Malauwi's self-titled LP, their short catalogue was nonetheless vital. BBE have revisited the label with reissues in the past, and now they've invited nu jazz scene leaders Jazzanova to re-imagine some of the cuts from the Strata archives in their own fusion style. From Woodard classics like 'Joy Road', 'Creative Musicians' and 'Saturday Night Special' to Malauwi's 'Root in 7/4 Plus', these are seminal works approached with care and flair by a band who have undoubtedly proved themselves worthy over the years.

Review: Rubbing shoulders with DJ Amir and 180 Proof Records, BBE Music present this celebratory compilation, fawning over the Strata Records' best and brightest releasees. 'Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova' hears DJ Amir and Jazzanova shed the work of a Detroit jazz great into something much newer and fresher, through incredible nu-jazz retakes on classic Motor City standards from the likes of Lyman Woodard and Malauwi.

Review: British DJ and record crate digger Paul Hillery gets put in a position of serious responsibility - curating and weaving together the latest compilation from BBE Music. Once The Polyphonic Spree's tour DJ, and the man behind the YouTube channel and mix series 'Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours', if none of that means anything let's just say this album takes psyche seriously. Well, as seriously as anything psychedelic ever is.

With a track list boasting some cult favourites from the scene - Mike Baumann & Tom Huntington, Alex Crispin, Airborne - there's plenty here to pique interest while perusing the back sleeve. Dive in, though, and you find a trove of treasures, from hazy, early-1970s tranquility to innovative digital experiments created during the 2020 lockdowns. A real journey through the ages, genre acting as guiding rod.

Review: Most people will recognize Brian Jackson as the most important collaborator with Gil Scott-Heron - between them the pair laid down a mesmerising new kind of soul which resonates in its influence and brilliance to this day. Jackson went on to work with scores of legends of Black American music, but this new album is something altogether his own. Working with Daniel Colias from Phenomenal Handclap Band, Jackson revived a long-dormant solo project from the 70s and brought it to fruition in a set of ascendant soul cuts which speak to Jackson's mighty legacy while offering something wholly contemporary. 'All Talk' bursts with jazz funk and boogie flourishes, while 'Path to Macondo / Those Kind of Blues' takes a more introspective trip into Jackson's illustrious musicality. Forget reissue culture for a minute - here's a bonafide legend still doing it in the here and now.

Review: Enja Records was founded in Munich in the early 70s by jazz devotees Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber. Given a co-sign by the always on-point BBE and IF Music founder Jean-Claude, the label is now enjoying a retrospective compilation which seeks to celebrate the best of their golden years. Featuring performances by John Stubblefield, Bobby Hutcherson, Harold Land, Don Cherry, Cecil McBee and Pharoah Sanders collaborator Marvin Hannibal Peterson to name but a few, this collection provides a great jumping-off point for Enja's rich and diverse back catalogue. It may only be an introduction to a vast pool of music, but it's curated with authority by a dedicated head, so you know you're getting a shortcut to the best the label has to offer.

Review: For the latest volume in their Foundations series on BBE, Kai Alce and DJ Spinna have decided to reissue one of the finest records from the earliest days of Chicago house, Chip-E's spellbinding 1985 anthem "Like This". This seven-inch edition features a fresh edit of Chip-E's original cub mix on the A-side. This version is essential largely because of the quality of K-Joy's impeccable vocal, though the re-mastered sound also makes Chip-E's crunchy Roland drum machine hits, bold synth-bass and spacey lead lines sound better than ever. Turn to the flip for the heavy and stripped-back "DDD Dub" version, which makes more use of the short "Like This" vocal, which was originally provided by the Godfather of House himself, Frankie Knuckles.

Review: We're prepared to argue with anyone on this, but Universal Robot Band's "Barely Breaking Even" is one of the best boogie-era disco records ever made. Its title was also the inspiration for the name of BBE Records, so it seems fitting that the label's 500th release is an all-star re-recording that brings together NYC house hero Louie Vega and original creators Leroy Burgess and Patrick Adams. Vega delivers vocal and instrumental versions of two distinctive passes: a slick, smooth, soulful and string-laden "Boogie Mix" rich in warm electronics and subtle nods towards the early '80s original, and a rolling "NYC House Remix" full of twinkling Fender Rhodes solos and atmospheric chords. As you'd expect, Burgess' re-recorded vocal is superb.

Review: From Kon's forthcoming compilation on BBE entitled Kon & The Gang, this 12? sampler features two cuts taken from the LP and an exclusive remix from Boston producer and mix engineer Caserta, namely "Timeless" (Caserta mix)" a tasty serving of super deep and low slung disco goodness. A more functional edit for DJ use follows on "Timeless" (remix - Caserta mix)". On the flip Truccy (better known as Compost's Rainer Truby and Corrado Bucci) present "Closer", a gorgeous slo-mo house jam with a rolling groove fetauring all the good stuff: swirling Rhodes keys, groovy congas and hypnotic vox.

Review: Capturing the essence and feels of the long-standing event he runs in his Swiss hometown of Lausanne, veteran digger and selector Attias presents a brand new compendium of sweet compositions that sum up he's at creatively and spiritually. Gems on gems on gems: highlights that we guarantee will appeal to your good tastes and dancefloor include the hypnotic vibraphone wash of Cro-Magnon's "Midnight Magic", the slept-on jittering funk of Tatham, Mensah, Lord & Ranks's "Cascade" and Material and Nona Hendrix's ludicrously funky, ultimately sleazy slinker "Over & Over". We suspect you'll be playing this record over and over, too...

Review: Song of Island is a private press album that very few people knew about. It is the third long player from pianist Yasuhiro Kohno's trio (he started his career as a member of Japanese rocker Eikichi Yazawa's band) and was recorded live at the jazz club and live house 'Again' in August 1985. This is the first time the album has ever been reissued before and captures a special time in Japanese jazz when it was all about exemplary acoustics performed live by skilled musicians. There is one take on a classic jazz standard here as well as four original pieces.

Review: BBE continue their exploration of the imperious catalogue from Detroit-based jazz label Strata by unearthing a truly hidden gem. Sam Sanders' Mirror Mirror was never formally released, and that is in part because the legendary saxophonist's early brushes with the music industry inspired him to forge his own independent path. As such, some of his work never got the official release it deserved, and Mirror Mirror is a prime example. Even if the over-arching approach comes from jazz, there's a bias towards heavy grooves and song structures which makes much of the album land more as a deeply dug funk and soul classic. Just trip out on the melancholy beauty of 'Face At My Window' and you'll understand.

Review: Roy Ayers staked a bold claim by flaunting the fact that he had 'Reach[ed] The Highest Pleasure' back in June '77. Unfortunately for us back then, this lifetime hedonistic milestone - documented in instrumental funk form - was shelved for reasons unknown beyond simple artistic oversight. As said, this slick solo instrumental for drums, bass and vibraphone is a perfect soul-jazz, chillout trifecta, one for the rarities collectors.

Review: One of the most remarkable things about Saturday Night Special, the 1975 debut album by the Lyman Woodard Organisation, is how two musicians - accompanied by various sessions drummers - could make such a rich and layered set. It still impresses that Lyman Woodard and Ron English could create so many superbly evocative and cinematic jazz-fusion workouts almost on their own. The set has long been regarded as one of the best musical commentaries on a particularly low period in Detroit's post-industrial history, and many of the tracks are suitably poignant - even those clearly aimed at the dancefloor. Critically, this reissue deals with one of the major issues with original copies - their poor pressing - by stretching the same tracks over two slabs of wax, rather than one.

Review: 'Folk funk and trippy troubadours' main man Paul Hillery - a dedicated crate digger and vinyl hunter whose musical knowledge is exceptional - scored a hit with his first compilation We Are The Children of The Sun. He's now curated a sequel, which once again explores a range of rare, thoroughly obscure sounds that he loosely terms 'folk funk' and 'Balearic AOR'. This is music for sunsets, sunrises and long drives through grandiose landscapes. The plentiful highlights include, but are in no way limited to, the synth-sporting cosmic AOR brilliance of Forest's 'Crazy Days', the jazz-folk brilliance of Wendy Grace's 'More Than Hope', Aria Rostami's acoustic ambient excellence ('Golden Hour') and a previously unheard cover of 'Milk & Honey' by musical polymath Greg Foat and his ever-changing backing band.

Review: Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun is a compilation of rare and obscure psychedelic rock, folk and jazz from all over the world. While little thematic centrality is present, the common thread between these selections is that they can surely be classified as wheat, not chaff, thanks to the curatorial power of one Paul Hillery. Artists both known and forgotten, such as Forest, Will & James Ragar, Greg Foat Group and Orion all hitch a ride on Helios' sonic chariot, delivering an intense psych-folk-funk album of much experimentation and weird synthwork.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve, product unopened & in excellent condition***


BBE's J Jazz masterclass continues unabated with this holy grail issue from Hideyasu Terakawa and his quartet, including Hirosji Fuji in the line-up. This album of live recordings was originally released in 1978 as a private press affair in numbers as low as 100 copies, but now it's been given the ceremonial presentation it deserves. The music is actually a range of covers, as Terakawa and co reinterpret works from US composers such as Wayne Shorter, Frank Foster and Milt Jackson and Jimmy Heath. It's a superlative set loaded with feeling and all the more magic for knowing it was all laid down live, in the moment.

Review: Almost entirely ignored at the time of its original release, Nigerian drumming maestro Remi Kabaka's legendary original LP Son Of Africa has gone down in legend as the defining solo statement of an incendiary drummer, whose contributions to music across the jazz and rock spectrums is credited and felt strongly to this day. A founding member of Afro-jazz band Osibisa, Kabaka is credited for his work with many a Rolling Stone and Beatle, but it's his solo work on this Afro-funk rare gem that really gets the least easy to please among us going. An Afrofuturist statement to the core, its jubilant vocal chants and defiant trumpet lines are but mere pepperings over the boxy, banging body that is Kabaka's live Afrobeat quads.