snobb Masahiko Togashi's "Song Of Soil", recorded in Paris in 1979 and reissued in France by Wewantsounds just a few months ago, is most probably his best known album in the Western world. Percussionist Togashi was one of the cornerstones of Japanese free jazz in the late 60s. In 1969 Togashi lost the use of his legs in an accident, but he developed a new drum kit and returned to playing.

Well known in Japan from his collaboration with leading domestic artists (Sadao Watanabe, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masahiko Satoh among many other), Togashi played with some leading Western jazz artists who were visiting Japan as well (Gary Peacock, Richard Beirach, Steve Lacy, etc). "Song Of Soil" is recorded on Masahiko's rare tour in Europe with two jazz greats, trumpeter Don Cherry and bassist Charlie Haden.

Originally released in Japan in 1979, this album contains six Togashi compositions, all loose and very percussive. Don Cherry improvises freely over dense Masahiko drumming, plays a lot of flute too. Haden's acoustic bass is very wooden and physical. Masahiko's compositions are rooted in Japanese folklore as well as his rhythms, but the music in whole is too bulky and not all that memorable. In fact, the album sounds more like it comes from the late 60s, not 70s. The sound quality of the reissue is excellent, so fans of Togashi and the freer side of Cherry and Haden can find some interesting moments here.

snobb Two Japanese jazz greats pianist Masabumi Kikuchi and percussionist Masahiko Togashi recorded “Concerto” in 1991 – quite prolific period for both (especially for Kikuchi who founded one of his most successful project Tethered Moon with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian right at that time). Released soon after, this duo album hasn't been noticed and became an obscurity. Many Kikuchi fans even don't know such release exists.

In 2016 it has been re-issued in Japan so it is much more accessible now. Being mostly known as an object of discussions between collectors (as rule no-one of them ever heard its content) – is this album really all that good?

Almost two-hour long collection of improvisations is obviously dominated by Kikuchi's piano work. It is probably most lyrical work of everything what Kikuchi has been ever recorded. Bigger part of this double-CD set is filled with down tempo piano pseudo-classical balladry, similar to Russian romantic classics coming from 19 century. Togashi's percussion doesn't produce the beat or rhythm of any kind and is used mostly for ascetic licks over sentimental piano recital.

Inexperienced listener can be fooled by tuneful accessibility of Kikuchi's piano and easily imagine he's listening to slightly modernized chamber romanticism piano pieces. Only after some time one can cath up that music generally starts nowhere and goes to eternity. Familiar with Kikuchi's later recordings knows that he introduced very own avant-garde improvisational techniques, playing accessible liquid tunes' snippets in never-ending cyclic way. In fact, such kind of music can be started at any place of CD and can be finished same way – the resulted piece will be almost as representative as any other taken from the double set.

On some pieces (like “Passing Breeze”) Togashi's percussion takes more initiative and adds more blood to previously almost meditative piano-dominated music. “Unbalance” (longest album's composition lasting 16+ minute) particularly destroys chamber lullabies for characteristic Togashi's percussive air temples and quite refined piano-percussion duels.

Still in all whole album obviously missing dynamics and too often occurs dangerously close to monotonous sound-wallpaper. Few atonal and more percussive pieces demonstrate better balance between tuneful melancholic atmosphere and dramatic tension, but there are not enough of them to save the album from "lullaby" effect.

So - it's great that one more "secret album" of Japanese avant-garde jazz became accessible for public, but it could be mostly recommended for listeners,familiar with Togashi and Kikuchi (avant-garde period) music. Newbies can be seriously disappointed.

snobb One of Japanese free jazz corner stone percussionist Masahiko Togashi is known mostly by his late 60s-early 70s advanced recordings but actually he continued playing and recording up to the beginning of new century. His music is mostly all avant-garde jazz but there is a rare exemption - his J.J.Spirits (or Japan Jazz Spirits).

All-stars quartet containing beside of Togashi legendary pianist Masahiko Satoh (another Japanese free jazz cult figure),sax player Kohsuke Mine (better known by his excellent albums from early 70s) and bassist Nobuyoshi Ino. Surprisingly enough for band of such background, J.J. Spirits played mostly jazz standards not all that far from originals.

Quartet released three albums in early 90s, but here on "Update" is reunited again for one gig celebrating 40th Anniversary of Togashi's musical activities. Series of Anniversary's concerts took place in Tokyo's Shinjuku Pit Inn, some material has been recorded and released ("Update" is second album in Anniversary concert series).

Here on this live gig (as almost on any other music recorded by Togashi as leader) extremely important factor is great team and band's members communication. Togashi was better organizer than leading artist, and his all vest albums are well organized collaborative works. On "Update" (which have been released by tiny Take One Record and is true obscurity doesn't even presented on such complete sites as discogs.com)quartet of advanced jazz musicians plays full-bodied groovy mainstream jazz with some unorthodox soloing and obviously they all have fun!

Two Togashi originals ("Monk's hat blues" and "My old dreams") sound as is they are evergreen hard -bop era standards, and his third "Rumba de funk" mixing hard-bop, funk and some Latin would perfectly fit on one of Hancock's pre-fusion albums.

Nobuyoshi Ino's acoutsic bass is physical, deep and rich - all music is full of it's velvet sound, recalling early Three Blind MIce's audiophile albums. Masahiko Satoh, who can be heard playing straight extremely rare, demonstrates how good he is in this unusual for him role (he still adds quirkiness and complexity to piano line,but anyway his playing is bob-rooted). True album's hero is sax player Kohsuke Mine, who almost disappeared from jazz scene after he released some exceptional albums in early-mid 70s.

All album sounds as one of those fantastic hard-bop albums from 60s where jazz spirit was all around, just with big respect transferred to mid 90s. It is not a regular Togashi's recording but music here is so great that could be recommended for everyone from jazz purist to advanced jazz fan.

snobb If you're new in Japanese avant-garde jazz, one of the very first names you will hear is Masahiko Togashi.Drummer from his teens,in 60s he played in internationally most known Japanese jazz musician of the time Sadao Watanabe's band.In late 60s together with pianist Masahiko Satoh he becomes one of an icon of Japanese just-born free jazz. In 1969 he lost use of his legs as a result of accident,but continued playing music using his own percussion techniques.Paradoxically, right from same 1969 he started releasing albums as a leader and stayed being prolific artist up to the end of the century.

Speaking about his musical legacy,his best works are still his collaborative albums,not solo releases,especially those coming from late 60s - early 70s. After burgeoning early 70s avant-garde jazz scene it was declined very fast in a few years after and never returned back even a part of such popularity again.It's common for almost every Japanese avant garde jazz artist of first generation that in mid 70s after some years of glory they found themselves out of place and often out of job. Many changed the direction to moment-fashionable fusion,some switched to more respectable jazz form in Japan - mainstream jazz. Many of them tried to return to more adventurous music later but rarely succeeded - as rule having no bop roots,first generation's free jazzers just got stuck in their youth music without finding any development possibilities.

Togashi,having hands-only drumming/percussion abilities, from very early step developed his own percussive sound combining African tom-tom and meditative Japanese techniques,just using them both in a free manner.It sounded quite unusual and progressive in early 70s but haven't changed much after decades. Few his solo (percussion only) albums were quite successful demonstrating early world music-influenced (or pre-new age) aesthetics,but generally quality of almost any Togashi's album heavily depends on collaborators participated. Being kind of celebrity in Japanese jazz,Togashi always has ability to form strong bands, "Bura Bura" recorded concert isn't exception.

On paper,"Bura Bura" team looks like all-stars quartet where Togashi is supported by Steve Lacy on soprano, trumpeter Don Cherry and bassist Dave Holland.In real life things are a bit different. If Steve Lace (who was one among more popular Western jazz musician in Japan for decades)was regular Togashi's musical partner playing with him during his every of twelve Japanese tours,for Cherry and Holland such collaboration is a new thing.As a result all concert sounds more like jam than improvisational collaboration.Of all ten songs,recorded during concert in Tokyo,only four were used on original "Bura Bura" album - two Togashi originals and two Lacy's. It's quite understandable since at least Togashi and Lacy were both familiar with that material.

Togashi originals both are tuneful and very percussive, but hardly memorable. Cherry plays beautiful trumpet solos on "Contrast",but it hardly saves all song - feeling of raw jam session stays all album long. Two Lacy's originals are both well known and easy recognizable, "Wickets" and especially "Flakes" were played and recorded by Lacy himself much more often than once or twice."Wickets" even contains insert from John Lee Hooker's blues with Don Cherry vocals! These songs save album, it's obvious how Lacy compositional abilities change music quality for good(even if common musicianship still sound quite raw).

It's interesting that French release of "Bura Bura" contains quite different selection from the same concert's material - adding Don Cherry original "Mopti" and changing Togashi's "Contrast" to his other song,"Spiritual Nature",coming from his one of the most commercially successful album of the same title,recorded in 1975 (with Sadao Watanabe on board,among others). Most probably such choice is an adaptation for European market.

At last,in 2002 all 10 songs were released in Japan as double CD.Probably good choice for collectors,this version has its pros and cons. It contains some better songs than were chosen for original LP,but at the same time it contains around 100 minutes of music,10 loose compositions of which only two are shorter than 11 minutes and far not all music is so interesting.It's not the album you will listen too often for sure.

In all, near average Togashi's album where sound names don't generate expected quality, but still nice listening.

snobb "A Day Of The Sun" is two Japanese jazz greats duo's album. Percussionist Masahiko Togashi (besides of pianist Masahiko Satoh) are key figure of Japanese free jazz,played with virtually everyone of important Japanese advanced jazz musician and recorded lot of albums,some of them (especially recorded in late 60s - early 70s)are part of Japanese jazz "golden fund". Acoustic bassist Isao Suzuki is even more legendary figure - in Japan he is usually titled "Godfather of Jazz".

Born in Tokyo in 1933,he started his jazz career in 1953 playing bass with Louis Armstrong when the later to Japan that year.I have read in Isao's interview that he was in Armstrong concert and next day found out that Armstrong band is searching for bassist. Isao asked his mother to buy him a bass (he never played the instrument before) and went to rehearsal. According to Isao, bandleader hired him and showed how to play bass - that's how he started.Later he played for two or three years in US Navy base band and than joined Jun Kiyomizu band - his first Japanese band ever.He played around Japan (mostly in local cabarets) till late 60s when "Ginpary"(or "Silver Paris" - psychedelic jam sessions on very early Japanese free jazz stage) fashion pushed mainstream jazz musicians aside.Isao still participated in some gigs and even was one-time member of quartet with Sadao Watanabe,Togashi and Kikuchi(that was one of "Ginpary" session where Isao met Masahiko Togashi for the first time).In 1969 he played with Art Blakey who invited him to America where Isao stayed for two years (mostly traveling around the country and Canada in old Caddilac with Art Blakey and playing gigs mostly in black clubs).Art Blakey's band of the time included George Cables,Woody Shaw and Ramon Morris.Isao played lot of jams with Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell,Elvin Jones,Duke Pearson and Lee Morgan among others. He spent a lot of time in Rudy Van Gelder recording studio as well where Rudy tough him many secrets of good recording sound.Isao even was a bassist in Ella Fitzgerald band, but when one day in airport on their way to Canada Art Blakey got basted on cocaine,Isao same day just took the flight back to Japan.On return he made a lot introducing his experience in development of jazz in Japan.His first albums for Three Blind Mices (cult audiophile label,kind Japanese ECM but with very physical,deep and warm sound)built recordings sound and mix quality standard for decades to come.In 1980 he released "Self-Portrait" - first ever one-man recording using multilayer techniques in Japanese jazz (Isao played 22 different instruments on this album).

Main Isao's personality importance is still that that he's one among few extremely respectable Japanese jazz artists having hard-bop background.Other his generation known jazzmen come mostly from big bands (formed under US bases orchestras influence),late 60s pushed ahead new noisy and angry generation which stepped right to radical avant-garde.

With all series of strong hard-bop albums,Isao stayed innovative for decades though. His second important influence was fusion,but he released albums containing Latin jazz or even modern electronic remixes. During his long career Isao played with percussionist Masahiko Tagashi quite regularly, on Masahiko's or his own albums. "A Day of The Sun" is duo's collaboration,significant for both artists. Similarly like fusion popularity fast decrease in mid-late 70s on Western jazz scenes left lot of jazz musicians on the thin ice (and sometimes without job),in Japan that time is a time when jazz lost its importance as major part of modern musical culture. One of popular trend where many previous avant-garde and fusion artists switched to became etno-influenced improvisational (often meditative) music. "A Day Of The Sun" (percussionist and bassist duo recording,both uses some synth and other instruments though) is one good example. Fortunately differently from many of similar releases music here doesn't become endless hypnotizing noodling and successfully avoids similarities with upcoming new age. Two musicians are both too big personalities and too great masters to fade to grey zone - even if there are very free form compositions presented,them all have lot of blood and bones (deep physical bass, multilayered and complex percussion,all the time changing rhythms and grooves); probably good comparison is some ECM early proto-ambient recordings, where sound still wasn't all that liquid and super-polished.

Togashi will continue developing same formula on his later works,Suzuki will return to his more usual mainstream jazz, but "A Day Of The Sun" will stay as great evidence of two giant collaboration and excellent example of non-boring improvisational music.