Live At Vidro' 77 CD

First released in 2020 decades after it was recorded at Vidro, a jazz venue in Sapporo (where he and his wife ran a rival club, Showboat), this live album shows pianist Ryo Fukui and his sidemen Satoshi Denpo (bass) and Yoshinori Fukui (drums) at the peak of their powers. They'd first made a splash in the Japanese jazz scene with their album Scenery - released a year before in 1976 - and the trio's performance, recorded by that album's producer, adds an energetic and freewheeling slant to their ear-pleasing trademark sound. For proof, check the LP-opening version of LP cut 'Mellow Dream', where Fukui showcases his skills and emotive, fluid pianist, the slow-motion warmth of 'Body and Soul' and the floor-shaking wonder that is 'Mr PC'.